If there’s one person I trust to cut through the pretentious BS and simply give the clearest, most enjoyable, insightful and incisive assessments of a movie I either want to see or have already seen, it’s Dana Stevens, who writes and podcasts over at Slate. Her voice, written and spoken, has a matter-of-factness to it that captures the tone of my generation’s style of discussion more than any other critic I’m aware of. She doesn’t speak as though she has claims to any sort of authority on matters of taste or film language, which is more refreshing than I can say; the airs many reviewers try to put on in an effort to essentially plead with us to listen to them is tiresome, sometimes nauseating.
For me, she picks up the Ebert mantle rather well. She mirrors the honest style that Mr. Ebert became famous for, staying true to the principle that a reviewer must be honest to the point of embarrassment when it comes to communicating their impression of a movie viewing experience. Where she differs with Ebert, and I consider this a terrific strength, is her understanding that she is part of a conversation rather than a single voice swaying the masses. Listening to her speak either on her podcasts or being interviewed by people like Charlie Rose is a welcome departure from pushier voices that don’t allow the type of give and take discussions require. She’s also really funny on Twitter.
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