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Film review
- 2. A film review is a type of review that provides a short description of a film and includes the reviewer`s opinion about it. The fundamental functions of a movie review can be expressed in four words: to inform, analyze, convince, and entertain. A film review can be formal or informal. It is the analysis of the film made by one person or collectively, expressing the opinion on the movie. The peculiarity of film review is that it does not simply evaluate the film but gives very specific opinions which are the foundation of film review.
- 3. The top-priority task is to inform the readers about the content and the quality of the film. Without basic knowledge, it is impossible to decide whether you like to watch the movie or not. Writing only about technical elements without a word about the genre of the film or its cast, the review will not be informative enough. For example, imagine the reader has a soft spot for the movies featuring Amitabh Bachchan and doesn’t actually care about formal techniques. You may discourage him or her from watching the movie that she’d probably like if you omit mentioning Amitabh Bachchan in your review and concentrate exclusively on the editing or plot.
- 4. If you are sure that the movie is great and worth watching, you have to be persuasive enough in order to convince your readers that your evaluation is correct. On the other hand, if you want to keep your readers out of wasting their time on bad movies, you also have to use your power of persuasion. Sometimes, an inexperienced audience need some instructions for the right way of watching a certain movie. A detailed analysis will help them to notice the most important film elements and not to look over the best scenes. Moreover, particular movies have a confusing plot with unexpected twists that need additional explanations.
- 5. Finally, your movie review should be exciting and catchy. Nobody would prefer reading a boring list of advantages and disadvantages without interesting facts and funny stories about the actors and shooting the film. The film review is a popular way for critics to assess a film’s overall quality and determine whether or not they think the film is worth recommending. Film reviews differ from scholarly film articles, in that they encompass personal and idiosyncratic reactions and evaluations of a film, as well as objective analyses of the film’s formal techniques and thematic content.
- 6. While film reviews tend to be fairly short (approximately 600 to 1000 words), they require a lot of preparation before you begin writing. Prior to viewing the film, you may want to get a sense of the bodies of work by the director, writer, or individual actor. For instance, you may watch other films by the same director or writer in order to get a sense of each individual style. This will enable you to contextualize the film and determine whether it works as a continuation and/or disruption within the broad trends of the director’s or writer’s work.
- 7. Writing a film review often requires multiple viewings of the film. Plan to watch the film two or even three times. During the first viewing, surrender yourself to the cinematic experience; in other words, get lost in the narrative and enjoy the film without worrying about the argument you will eventually cultivate. During your second viewing, try distancing yourself from the plot and instead focus on interesting elements of the film that you can highlight in the review.
- 8. 1) FORMAL TECHNIQUES such as cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, lighting, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, genre, or narratology, and 2) THEMATIC CONTENT that resonates with issues such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class,or the environment. After watching the film for a second time, take careful notes on the formal and thematic elements of the film. Then attempt to create a central idea for your review that brings together the film’s formal and thematic elements. If your second viewing does not yield a strong central claim for the review or if you need to take more notes, you may have to watch the film or parts of the film a third time.
- 9. Introduction - In the opening of your review, provide some basic information about the film. You may include film’s name, year, director, screenwriter, and major actors. – Your introduction, which may be longer than one paragraph, should also begin to evaluate the film, and it should allude to the central concept of the review. A film review does not have to contain a thesis or main claim, but it should focus on a central analysis and assessment.
- 10. PLOT SUMMARY - Remember that many readers of film reviews have not yet seen the film. While you want to provide some plot summary, keep this brief and avoid specific details that would spoil the viewing for others. DESCRIPTION - While the plot summary will give the reader a general sense of what the film is about, also include a more detailed description of your particular cinematic experience watching the film. This may include your personal impression of what the film looks, feels, and sounds like. In other words, what stands out in your mind when you think about this particular film?
- 11. ANALYSIS - In order to explain your impression of the film, consider how well the film utilizes formal techniques and thematic content. How do the film’s formal techniques (such as cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, lighting, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, genre, or narrative) affect the way the film looks, feels, and sounds to you? How does the thematic content (such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class, or the environment) affect your experience and interpretation? Also, do the formal techniques work to forward the thematic content?
- 12. CONCLUSION/EVALUATION - The closing of your film review should remind the reader of your general thoughts and impressions of the film. You may also implicitly or explicitly state whether or not you recommend the film. Make sure to remind the reader of why the film is or is not worth seeing.
- 13. DO’s Do keep the film’s target audience in mind. Consider whether or not you relate to this udience when analyzing the film. Don’t neglect watching the film. If one attempts to form an opinion on the film from just reading about the plot and the cast on the Internet, then there is little chance such a film review will be any good. DON’T’s
- 14. DO’s Do include your personal, subjective comments on the film. However, make sure they are reasonable and not too general. Don’t choose a film for review based on critics’ opinion. Even if the film was not exceptionally successful, it might be a great idea to write a review on it and try to highlight its strong points. DON’T’s
- 15. DO’s Do avoid spoilers when you discuss the plot. Remember, your aim is to summarize the film for those who are possibly interested in viewing it themselves after reading your film review. Don’t be afraid to disagree with critics. Your film review is more valuable when it is more critical. When it comes to film reviews, uniqueness and originality of thought is appreciated. DON’T’s
- 16. DO’s Do analyze particular characteristics of the film separately. It is not enough to just decide whether or not the film is worth seeing. You have to go into detail and evaluate actors’ performance, the director’s vision, sound, light, setting, and other components one-by-one. Don’t think you have to necessarily criticize the film in your review. Being critical does not mean you cannot admit if you liked the film and think that it is a great piece of art. Just make sure to base your opinion on something other than mere judgment. DON’T’s
- 17. DO’s Do avoid generalizations. Be specific in your comments and expound on them adequately. Be precise and give examples to make sure you convey the right impression with your words. DON’T’s
- 18. Begin with a catchy introduction. Your introductory paragraph should include essential information about the movie: title, genre, director’s name, and release date. You can also mention, if appropriate, the awards (the most prestigious ones), the budget and the box office, and the cast members. In addition to the general information, it is necessary to include plot summary and description of the technical elements. The connection between the film’s central idea and the current issues or events; the similarity between the plot and your personal experience; the interrelation between the thematic content of the film and its formal elements.
- 19. Compose a brief plot summary. Describe four or five major events but don’t reveal the ending. Besides, avoid the “spoilers” by all means because your readers will hate you for destroying the suspense. If you still want to mention a significant turn, please, warn the readers about it.
- 20. Determine the purpose of the movie. Answer the question, “Why was this film created?” Sometimes, you may find the response in the interviews with the members of the shooting team. In other cases, the purpose can be obvious thanks to the plot. If the movie has an entertaining characteristic, don’t try to dig deeper to find some implied sense. Certain films are good because of their simplicity.
- 21. Add some details about filmmaking. The analysis of the formal techniques is an indispensable part of any movie review. Concentrate your attention on one or two elements that you consider to be the most significant for this particular film. Be careful with the specific terminology because your movie review shouldn’t confuse the readers. Here are some aspects that you can describe:
- 22. CINEMATOGRAPHY: This term includes everything that happens with cameras during the shooting. You can describe three main aspects of cinematography if you see them as important for comprehension of the film: camera movement, camera angles, and camera distances. EDITING: In a nutshell, the goal of editing is to create a smooth connection between all pieces of the film. The editor creates the “world of the story” in order to give the viewer a sense of space. The filmmakers use various methods to compose the integral reality of the movie: graphic similarities, establishing shots, etc.
- 23. SOUND: Although the sound affects the atmosphere of the movie as well as the visual elements, it is often underestimated. However, talented film score composers are highly praised in the movie-making world. Every sound in the film can be classified as diegetic and nondiegetic. Diegetic sound is like thunder, birdsong, barking, or conversations in the restaurant are the part of the narration. Non-diegetic sound is like off-screen commentaries or film scores that come from outside the universe of the film. MISE-EN-SCÈNE: This aspect is the most global because it includes literally everything that you see on the screen. Every landscape, actor’s smile, and visual effect is a part of the mise-en-scène.
- 24. Look for the deep meaning. A good movie is never superficial. There are always key phrases, symbolic things, and repeating elements that are significant for the deeper understanding of the film and, consequently, for your overarching review. Be attentive in order to unlock all secrets of filmmaking!
- 25. Provide examples. No review can sound trustworthy without examples. Phrases like “the acting is great” or “the sound is bad” don’t inspire trust. Be more specific! For example, when you talk about the portrayal of a particular character, mention what exactly makes the actor relevant for this role: appearance, manner of speaking, facial expressions, etc.
- 26. Write a strong conclusion. Remind your readers about the film elements that impressed you the most. Add some personal recommendations and specify for whom this film will be more interesting and why. Remember that your conclusion is the last chance to convince your readers, so do your best! Edit and proofread your movie review. Read your paper two or three times. Correct all the mistakes: word choice, grammar, style, spelling, typos, etc. Errors can spoil even the most professional review!
- 27. Mention the genre of the film, whether it is a comedy, sci- fi, horror, action, suspense thriller, romantic comedy, musical movie. Is the plot based on a novel, fantasy, or real-life events? Did the writer/Director manage to create a clear and captivating plot? Positive and useful vocabulary like, inspiring music, wonderful sets, absolutely amazing, truly frightening, astonishing special/sound effects, extremely imaginary, exciting story line, great acting, unique, magical hilarious What is the target audience of the film? Is it G-rated, R- rated, or unrated?
- 28. The reviewer`s opinions and recommendation; whether it’s a must see, it`s worth seeing, don`t miss it or it`s a waste of time, it isn`t worth seeing. What sorts of shots does the cameraman use in the film? How do these techniques affect the overall impression? Does the movie have an exclusively entertaining character or touch on serious issues? Was the casting successful? Did all actors manage to portray their characters? What is the general atmosphere of the movie? Is it tense/joyful/obscure?