Step 2: Acting, Technical Aspects and the Theme .

This part of your film review should talk about the actors and technical aspects of the film making process. You want to include detailed information as to why you felt a certain way. For instance, if you thought the music during the movie wasn’t appropriate, describe why you felt that way. Maybe the music wasn’t appropriate for a particular scene. Keep in mind that when writing a review, you have to have an open mind. You have to report both the positive and the negative. This should be the most opinionated part of your review.

Characters. Your review should evaluate the most interesting characters in the film. Certainly you will include the major roles but may also select some of the minor characters that are especially interesting. You can discuss how the characters are developed or revealed through what they do and say. You can also consider how they interact with other characters. In a film that has popular actors you may choose to discuss their acting ability and compare or discuss their roles in other films. If you think the acting is very good, or very bad, make sure to explain why you feel this way. If an actor is an Oscar winning performer, don’t forget to mention this fact. Also discuss the appropriateness of the casting (selection of actors) to play certain roles. Using the example of the Cinderella story, you could discuss how appropriately certain actors were cast to play the roles of the wicked stepmother or stepsisters (have they played similarly wicked roles in previous films?).

Technical Elements. Technical elements are used by the film director to enhance communication and make the film experience more entertaining. Each effect in the film represents a choice that the director made. As a film reviewer you could comment on how these effects contribute to the improvement of the film. Are they entertaining? Do they improve the film?

There are several types of technical elements that you can consider: direction, the use of camera, editing, lighting, special effects, background music, costumes, set design, etc.

Editing represents the choices that the director makes in arranging the order of the scenes in order to tell the story. Just as each sentence and paragraph adds together to tell a story, each scene builds to form the story or narrative in the film.

Lighting is important to every scene but not every scene requires lighting that will be obvious to the viewer. The film reviewer could comment on lighting that they feel especially contributes to the overall effect of the film. For example, in a deserted cabin in the woods or in a haunted castle the lighting may be dark and shadowy to create the effect of mystery.

Special effects are used to improve the film experience. The use of these effects varies from film to film. In some films this can have a major or critical influence on the film as a whole. Films involving magic, fantasy, science fiction and animation are some obvious examples of where special effects deserve some comments by the film reviewer. Some of these effects will involve very detailed technical knowledge. It is not necessary that you explain or understand how they were done. Instead, you could comment on the success or failure of the effects to improve the film experience. Try to be specific and use examples.

Sound will be most noticeable to a young film reviewer in the form of specialized effects and music. You may choose to comment on the success of sound effects by indicating how they add to particular scenes or stimulate or reinforce an emotional response. In films that use music it will be important to comment on how this affected your response to the film as a whole. Be guided by your emotional reaction and be confident to express these feelings when evaluating the contribution of sound to the film experience.

Theme. The theme is the message or recurring idea in the film. In addition to a major theme, there may be minor themes that you may also choose to discuss. You can evaluate how effectively the director communicates the theme by commenting on specific scenes and characters. As always, the more specifically you support your ideas with examples, the clearer your argument will be to the reader. In addition to commenting on the film’s effectiveness in communicating a theme or message, you may also choose to comment on the message itself. You may support the position expressed in the film or take a contrary (opposite) point of view. Again be sure to support your opinion with examples.

In the classic fairy tale Cinderella, you might discuss the main theme of good triumphing over wickedness since the desirable handsome prince recognizes Cinderella’s goodness over the evilness of her two stepsisters. You could indicate how the film communicates that Cinderella is good and how the wickedness of her sisters is illustrated. In addition, you could also comment on other themes or messages in the film such as the challenges of living with stepsisters and the film’s realistic or unrealistic portrayal of this relationship.

 

  Step 3: Comparing the Movie and Conclusion.

Comparing the Movie. Many movies are based on books or plays. For instance, “The Twilight Saga” is based on Stephenie Meyer’s books. In this section of your review, you have to do some comparing. Is the movie similar to the book or play? If not, make sure to mention how it’s different. If the movie is a remake, obviously you want to compare it to the original. Sequels of movies can be compared in quality to the first movie. In order to do an honest review of a movie that is based on a play or book, you will have to have seen the play or read the book. If needed, this should be another step in your movie review.

Conclusion. This final section of your review is your last attempt to reach the readers. You should tell them clearly to either go see the movie or to skip seeing the movie. Don’t keep readers guessing whether or not to go see the movie. State your opinion clearly. Based on all the previous comments you’ve made, they should be able to understand why you feel that they should or should not go see the movie.

Checklist

• I have included a title for my film review.

• I have expressed my overall impression of the film.

• I have summarized the plot without giving away the ending.

• I have discussed significant characters and actors.

• I have evaluated the film stars’ acting abilities.

• I have discussed the important technical elements.

• I have stated and evaluated the theme.

• I have done some comparing.

• I have included a strong conclusion summarizing my ideas.

• I have edited my review for spelling and grammatical errors.

• I have included submission details with my review.

 

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