There was a young critic on EveryonesACritic.net who had churned out literally hundreds of quality reviews, bursting with energy, enthusiasm and passion for the art of film.

He already had the body of work.  He absolutely had a love for movies.  And he showed a willingness to discuss virtually any subject with the wisdom of someone three times his age.

Jacob Hall's reviews are opinionated and thoroughly explained.  He has ways of turning a phrase that would make Roger Ebert take notice.  It is often hard to believe that the guy isn't even in his twenties yet.

Sure, he probably needs to make his way through a few hundred more classics and a about as many foreign films... but that comes with experience and time.  It takes a good long while of watching films with a critics eye to trudge through two or three thousand of them.  Most people don't see that many in a lifetime.  Jacob Hall will have that many under his belt by the time he's thirty.

In terms of our tastes, I would say that he and I agree on most of the "important" films in any given year... although we tend to differ on the big summer action blockbusters and the younger family fare.  He thinks I am too critical of them and I think he is too lenient on some of them.  But even when we disagree, he conveys his opinion in such a way that I am fully able to see where he is coming from.

His writing style is energizing... making you want to see the films he praises THAT night.  When he pans a film, he does it with such sly wit and recognizable sarcasm that you want to use his lines on your friends.

There are only a handful critics that I consider "must-reads"... Roger Ebert, James Berardinelli, Peter Travers, Richard Propes & Jacob Hall are among the elite few.

You won't find a more promising or entertaining critic than Jacob.  I am proud and honored to have him as a friend and colleague on IndependentCritics.com - I hope he remembers me when he wins an Oscar some day.

The photo of Al Pacino is used above because on this site, rather than using our own ugly mugs, we have decided to use images of our favorite actors instead.  Richard's is Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Jacob's is Al Pacino.  Mine is Sean Connery.  And in many strange ways, which you will eventually have to decipher for yourself, those personality pairings are extremely appropriate and accurate.