The internet has given voice to many an amateur, and usually, the term “amateur” is appropriate. But in some cases, the quantity and quality of material produced renders the term meaningless. James Berardinelli has been reviewing films on the internet for years, and he does so more consistantly and thouroughly than many professional film critics. In a certain sense, he is anything but an “amateur”. Take this recent review of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. With one line he completely sums up my feelings about the movie:
Watching this movie is like eating cotton candy – there’s a lot of sweetness and not much substance, but it’s a joy to consume while it lasts.
That line is just so dead-on that it’s almost scary. Unlike a lot of web gems, Mr. Berardinelli actually has achieved a certain amount of recognition, from people like me to big name film critics like Roger Ebert, and it is well deserved, too.