Ebert with his wife, Chaz, in Los Angeles in 2010. (Getty Images)

President Obama is mourning his fellow Chicagoan, the film critic Roger Ebert, who died today at age 70 following a recurrence of cancer. In a brief statement released by the White House, Obama says that Ebert was unsparing in his assessments of the movies he reviewed, and a great ambassador for the medium.

Michelle and I are saddened to hear about the passing of Roger Ebert. For a generation of Americans—and especially Chicagoans—Roger was the movies. When he didn’t like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive – capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient—continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won’t be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family.