Life Itself
Rule of Thumb
Official Website | Trailers & Mo
R | 115 min

I love me some Roger Ebert [You can read what he meant to me here].  Everyone loved him.  That’s why he got even more popular than ever when he lost his jaw and ability to eat and drink and became a mad blogger and twittererer.  His fighting of cancer and continuing his love of movies made it even easier for us to be a fan and root him on.  And then he left us.  But before he did, someone Ebert championed – Hoop Dreams director Steve James – followed him around in his waning months, to tell his life story, and his death story, with help of Ebert’s memoir, also the title of the film

Ebert deserves a doc about his life.  There’s no denying that.  And James’ one is good enough, but I feel like it only scratches at the surface of what made Ebert Ebert.  It all becomes much clearer, about 1/3 of the way thru, when Gene Siskel enters the picture.  Ebert’s past is colorful stuff  – the Pulitzer win, the Russ Meyer screenplaying, the love of booze and ladies – but what really made Ebert Ebert was his partner Siskel (and you should see his past – staring at boobies at that Playboy Mansion!!!!!).  Without Siskel, this doc would probably not need to exist.  But Siskel left us too early, and his due is long overdue.  He’s a figure equally as important as Ebert is/was, but he didn’t get his final say – as he choose to hide his sickness, where Ebert didn’t

I cannot fault Life Itself as itself, but I just wish the focus was wholly equal – where each thumb’s owner got their diligence dued, dude.  Two thumbs are better than one, but one is still better than none.  Now we have zero thumbs.  But…

Verdictgo: Jeepers Worth A Peepers

Life lives in limited release AND on demand!

and until next thyme the balcony is clothed…

Peace The Forks Out

to

Ebert

you had one of the two best thumbs OF ALL THYME  

you and Gene showed me that it was OK to both LOVE and HATE movies  

you made it OK to be overweight AND really really love movies  

I grew up digesting your show, EACH and EVERY Saturday.  it was the best TV show about movies, and one of the best TV shows PERIOD…  and then it was gone, and there hasn’t been anything on TV (or the stoopid internets) like it since, and probably never will, cause there’s only one Ebert, and only one Siskel  

cancer took your voice, but it never silenced you  

cancer took your life, but your voice will always and forever be heard in our hearts and minds  

thank you for being you. there aren’t enuff thumbs on earth to raise up and salute you

and until next time, the balcony is clothed closed :(