TheRetroCritic

The loss of Roger Ebert in 2013 was a blow to anyone who knew him or respected his work. Whether you agreed with his reviews or not, here was a man who loved and understood film, who had a true passion for cinema and who inspired many, including this reviewer, to think further about the medium and show it the respect and attention it deserves. With Life Itself , Ebert himself receives the respect and attention he deserves. The film follows the man himself as he goes through rehabilitation in hospital, occasionally answering questions from the film's director Steve James. It's a tough watch as the documentary doesn't sugar-coat anything and Ebert often looks like he's in a great deal of pain but the fact he perseveres the way he does and still finds the strength to keep a sense of humour really shows an amount of courage that's hugely inspirational. The months leading up to the iconic critic's death are very emotional and heartbreaking as Chaz Ebert, Roger

This year, Martin Scorsese offered us a heavy, deadly dose of sex, drugs and money in The Wolf Of Wall Street , a film following the true story of dodgy stockbroker Jordan Belfort. It's the typical rise and fall tale except that the rise is ridiculously high and the fall is cushioned by a nice, big pillow filled with dough. Think Citizen Kane meets Scarface with a dash of Caligula . The film is fast-paced to say the least and drops you into this cocaine-infused spiral of debauchery and obscene wealth without mercy. Leonardo Di Caprio plays Belfort and, breaking the fourth wall every so often, tells us all about how he basically crooked his way into that lifestyle. The character is likeable yet also repulsive, not only because of his greedy, selfish and careless personality but because the idea of one douchebag was living it up thanks to some shady deals and phone-calls while so many were struggling to make ends meet is one that hits close to home these days. The reason why w