Writing a film review

Four Parts (Paragraphs) of a 

Movie Review

Opening: Catch the Reader's Attention

Think about how advertisements sell movies: "trailers" show you a few seconds of the movie 

to get you interested. When you begin your movie review, make your own "trailer." 

If you liked the movie, then your trailer should make people want to see it; 

but if you didn't like it, the trailer should be

something that shows why you didn't like it. Don't explain why you liked it or didn't like it; 

make the reader like or not like the movie by what you describe. 

Begin your review by retelling an incident or moment from the movie 

which you think captures the spirit of the movie as you

understood it.

Alternative: Begin your review with another kind of story or interesting fact--
about one of the star actors, or about the making of the movie, or about the director.

IF YOU ARE LESS CERTAIN ABOUT YOUR WRITING SKILLS, 
FOLLOW THIS INFALLIBLE RECIPE:
Title - Genre - Director - Stars - 
Setting (time+place) - plot (in one sentence)

Second Paragraph: Take Care of Business

What happens in the movie? You shouldn't tell everything that happens--

and especially not the ending. But you want to summarize the basic 

plot of the movie, in more detail than you

do in the paragraph above.

One way to do this might be to write a sentence 

about each main character.

Third Paragraph: 

A Key Moment or Idea

In this paragraph, go into detail about something important 

that interested you about the movie. 

If it was a musical, you should say something about the songs. 

Or if the soundtrack was good, 

talk about that. Or write more about one character who was really 

intriguing. Or retell another big moment from the movie 

and explain why it is important. 

If you think the "idea" behind a movie was really interesting, 

explain that idea and talk about it a little bit. In

this paragraph, you must go into depth about the movie.

Fourth Paragraph: Evaluate the Movie

Do you recommend it or not? Who will like it (kids or adults)? 

The most important thing here is that you must also explain 

why you are making your recommendation.

You must justify your opinion--and that opinion should grow out 

of what you write in the rest of the review. 

Give at least two reasons why you liked or didn't like the movie.


USEFUL VOCABULARY 

Setting

The action takes place in ... (setting)
The action of the film is set in ...
The story takes place in...

Characters and Plot

The main characters are ...
The story is about ....
The novel tells the story of ...
In the course of the novel the action develops dramatically.
The novel / film begins with...
The novel has an unexpected ending.
The end of ... is ...

  Reaction  

I am impressed by
I think ....
The book is terribly / beautifully written
The film is terrible / exciting.
What surprised me is ...
What I liked is...
What I didn't like is...
I liked/didn't like the film / novel because ...

.

Title

Introduction: General info

Title- type of book/film/play (romantic/thriller/comedy/action..etc)- the setting-(when ,where)- the theme- main characters.

e.g. This well-written/informative/thought-provoking book is about ..

It is set in ….. /tells the story of …. / is based on /The film stars …. / is directed by/ is the sequel to ……

Body 1: Main points of the plot

…./the plot revolves around./ the story reaches a dramatic climax when…. / has an unexpected twist

Body 2: Comments on

Acting: moving/ powerful/unconvincing/weak/ disappointing

Plot: gripping/ suspense-filled/fast-moving-fa-fetched-unpredictable-confusing/ dull/unimaginative

Script/dialogue: touching/witty/hilarious/boring/mundane/ It is beautifully/sensitively written/ directed.

Conclusion: Overall assessment + justification.

You should definitely see/read …/Don’t miss it./ you might enjoy..

All in all, it is well- worth seeing/reading since ……