Not Showing: Life Itself

After the death of Roger Ebert, I was surprised to hear a news about his documentary. I mean, it still fresh and I don’t know what parts of his life were covered.  Well, after watching it, I am very well surprised and pleased with it! Every movie fan, critic or well, anybody who loves movies should see this documentary.  It’s short yet very special and inspiring.

The only flaw I can see in this film, is well, not really a flaw but I’m more interested seeing it. How he was able to do his style of critic. I mean sure you can read his reviews or watch it as well but in the film, due to its narrative pace, it did not dwell on that. He has some inspirations shown there and how he dealt even his own works, but how he was able to do it. I hope it devoted some time at that part, but it was less discussed or shown for this film.

However, that did not dampen really my likeness into this film. I mean despite it could go long, but the director was able to get the important parts and works of Robert and fit it in just the right amount of time. I love the interviews done throughout the industry, such as Martin Scorsese, and the other stars, movie critics who not only his rival but also inspired from him. The other movie directors who were lighten up because of his harsh or constructive criticism or even slightest of praise or even that simple two thumbs up label. I love the scenes showing his TV show with Siskel, darn I hope it had reruns or I hope somebody could do that again. But I saw it already, actually many of them in youtube. But that old time, it’s quite ahead.

I’m also became very educated while watching this film, especially that he actually made a film as a screenwriter. Even written for just one film, that's an achievement. I feel I could do that as well, writing a screenplay in the future. hehe The one scene that I felt sympathy with him is the death of his rival/best friend Siskel. I mean you can feel from the narration of his friends and family that he quite got depressed when Siskel passed away. I mean, after working from ups and downs with someone and all of a sudden, took away. It's very sad. Another very sad moment, Roger's condition before he passed away. It's fun that despite his condition, he wrote until his final breath. it's sad that he got that disease and you saw in the film how he was coping hard on it. But the great thing is he never gave up writing and continue doing it and loving it! 

For me, he is the perfect movie critic. I mean I may get a lot of flak but a critic who not only came close with almost all the stars in hollywood is not a bad job. It's a great job and he never stopped and actually I hope he wrote more screenplays. Perfect critic I mean, he pulled no punches because what he felt. I mean some films he gave poor reviews but others gave it great, I still give him credit because that's what he felt. It's not others who like gave me impression, it's what he feels. That is what I did in some films I reviewed. Others views great or bad, for me sometimes it's opposite. 

I think every critic should do that. Besides, criticism has its own right, I mean the writer's rights. It's no standard for everybody else unless you have poor eyesight or hearing when watching a film. hehe But definitely, I was inspired by Roger Ebert and he's a legend in a simple work naming movie critic. I'm surprised this film was not nominated at least for best documentary though. Darn.. I still give it,

Two thumbs up!