PRACTICAL & PROFESSIONAL WRITING

Writing a Movie Review

Gather basic facts about the movie. You can do this before or after you watch the movie, but you should definitely do it before you write the review. Here's what you should know:

• Title of the film
• Director
• Lead actors
• Genre
• Setting
• Plot overview

Take notes on the movie as you watch it. Before you sit down to watch a film, get out a notepad or a laptop to take notes. Movies are long, and you can easily forget details or major plot points. Taking notes allows you to jot down little things you can return to later.

• Make a note every time something sticks out to you, whether it's good or bad. This could be costuming, makeup, set design, music, etc. Think about how this detail relates to the rest of the movie and what it means in the context of your review.

Consider the mechanics of the movie. During or after your viewing, ask yourself what impression the movie left with you in these areas:

• Direction. Consider the director and how he or she chooses to portray/explain the events in the story. Think about the way they presented the movie to the audience. If the movie was slow, or didn't include things you thought were necessary, you can attribute this to the director. If you've seen other movies directed by the same person, compare them and determine which you like the most.
• Writing. Evaluate the script, including dialogue and characterization. Did you feel like the plot was inventive and unpredictable or boring and weak? Did the characters' words seem credible to you?
• Editing. Was the movie choppy or did it flow smoothly from scene to scene? Take note of the use of lighting and other ambient effects. If the move has computer-generated graphics, think about whether or not they looked realistic /fit in with the rest of the film.
• Costume design. Did the clothing choices fit the style of the movie? Did they contribute to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it?
• Set design. Consider how the setting of the film influenced its other elements. Did it add or subtract from the experience for you? If the movie was filmed in a real place, was this location well-chosen?
• Background music. Did it work with the scenes? Was it over/under-used? Was it suspenseful? Amusing? Irritating? A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them.

Write down your thoughts. As you mull over these aspects of the movie, jot down what you're thinking. Don't worry about editing your work right now - just get it out, and worry about cleaning it up later. Think of this part of the process as similar to brainstorming before you write an essay.

If you want to make sure your understanding of the movie is complete, watch it again. Many reviewers watch the same movie more than once to ensure the review is as comprehensive as possible.

Begin writing your review. Now that you have a good outline and all your important information, it's time to commence the actual writing process. It's a good idea to start typing now, even for your first draft, since it's much easier to revise and review your work if it's on a computer.

• Keep your writing clear and easy to understand. Don't use too much technical filmmaking jargon, and make your language crisp and accessible.
• Remember that the person who reads your review might not have seen the movie, so before discussing a character or plot point you should provide a brief summary of its relevance.
• Warn your readers about spoilers. If your review contains them throughout its body, put an disclaimer at the beginning. If you only mention one or two little things, however, you can just warn your audience quickly beforehand.

Start with the general information. This should include all the basics that you found out already. Try not to just list it all flatly--find a way to spread out the information in an interesting and informative way. You don't necessarily need to list everything in the order listed above, either.

Provide an overview of the plot, but keep it contained. You should have a one paragraph maximum for this part. Give the reader enough information that he or she will be well-oriented at the beginning of the movie, but not so much that you give away the story (unless you're writing a spoilery review).

Critique the movie. Now that you've explained the general events, the reader has an idea of the movie and its general theme. You can now begin to add your own ideas.

• It's a good idea when critiquing to present both the facts and your opinion. For example, you might state something such as, "The music, which was all classical, mixed well with the eighteenth-century setting." This gives your reader a good sense of both "what" and "how" (in the sense of how good or bad something was). This is a lot better and more informative then simply saying, "The music worked well with the movie."
• Explain the reasons for all of your criticisms and provide examples. For example, if you didn't like a certain actor, explain what about them you didn't like, and give examples of their bad acting. This "proof" helps your reader understand your viewpoint.

End the review with something memorable. You want the last sentence to give your reader a good idea of your general viewpoint about the movie. This is a good place to explain whether in general you liked the movie, or not. (For example: "The movie was intriguing and exciting, despite a few less than stellar actors" is a solid conclusion.)

Read through your review. Make sure your writing is intelligible, complete, interesting, and written in a general viewpoint. Correct any factual errors and check for any spelling or grammar mistakes. These may seem minor and unimportant, but they actually are very important to your reader, as they may not trust your review if they see you've misspelled a lot of words or contradict yourself.

Prepared by:

M.H.Zafras Ahamed

B.A in (SEUSL)

H.N.D.in English

(SLIATE)

Sample Movie Review

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

§  The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

§  Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

§  Director: Christopher Nolan

§  Synopsis: Christian Bale stars as both the classic caped crusader and his billionaire alter-ego, Bruce Wayne. In this third installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, Bruce Wayne no longer feels that the City of Gotham needs a hero and goes on a secluded hiatus. However, when a new villain, Bane (Tom Hardy), threatens Gotham City, Wayne dons his cape and mask once more.  

Review:  

Christopher Nolan brings yet another adrenaline-filled, comic-inspired movie to the big screen.  We see all sorts of familiar faces this time around, but the audience is introduced to a few new characters as well.

When crisis threatens Gotham City, Bruce Wayne jumps back into the Batmobile to fight crime. Batman is joined on his quest by an eager orphaned cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a seductive cat burglar (Anne Hathaway), and a violent masked villain (Tom Hardy).    

  

This film served as great entertainment with its colorful cast and numerous plot twists. Nolan used actors that had either appeared in previous Batman films or in his blockbuster hit Inception, and all of them shone in their respective roles: Tom Hardy was almost unrecognizable in his Bane costume, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard were both excellent—and obviously comfortable with Nolan’s directing style and the film’s dramatic tone.  

The one actor that gave this reviewer pause was Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. She has historically been typecast as the girl next door, so it was a shock to watch her steal and fight her way through the City of Gotham. After a few scenes, however, we were convinced that the casting decisions were a good one, as Hathaway portrayed the darker Cat woman role brilliantly.

True to Nolan’s style, at 164 minutes, this film is fairly long. There were a few times when the movie felt a bit drawn out, but the gorgeous action scenes and impressive dialogue really held the audience’s attention and kept them on the edge of their seats. However, the timeline was a bit unclear at times. For a number of scenes, it was hard to tell whether it had been days or months or years that had passed since the last time a given character had been on screen.

Despite the films minor shortcomings, The Dark Knight Rises is exciting, creative, and dark—and well worth a few hours of your time.

Prepared by:

M.H.Zafras Ahamed

B.A in (SEUSL)

H.N.D.in English

(SLIATE)

Expository writing

What is expository writing?

Introduction:-

Expository writing explains or informs. It answers the reader’s basic question about a topic.

·         Who

·         what

·         where

·         when

·         why

·         how

Eg:-

The largest animal ever to live on earth is the blue whale. They can grow this large because seawater can support their tremendous weight. Once, whalers in the Antarctic caught a 108- foot – long blue whale. In modern times, blue whales can reach 150 tons. To maintain its bulk, a blue whale will eat up to four tons of krill per day.

Understanding types of expository essays

There are three basic types of expository essays.

1        Informative essay

2        How- to essay

3        Comparison – contrast essay

Informative essay:-

(Giving Information)

An informative essay provides information in a logical oreder. to create a logical order, link one sentence to another by using

• repeated words
• repeated ideas

E.g.:-

Blue whales live in every ocean of the world. Polar oceans host these gentle giant throughout the summer. Whales spend the winter in tropical waters, where they mate and give birth. During fall and spring, a blue whale may migrate thousands of miles.

*        Bolded words – important words

*        Italic words – important ideas

How –to essays:-

(Explaining a process)

A how-to essay tells the reader how to do something. Information in a how-to essay appears in time order. These transitions words and phrases show time:

First	To begin	Start by
Second	To continue	Next
Third	Afterward	Then
Finally	To finish	Last

E.g.:-

To spot blue whale, start by watching the surface of the sea, looking for the blow. Blue whales release blows of up to 30 feet in height. Next use the binoculars to spot the body. A blue whale looks like a large moving sand bar. Then look for short dorsal fin near the tail. Finally check for triangular tail flukes, which tell you for sure that you have spotted a blue. However, if the flukes rise above the sea, which is called breathing, the animal is diving deep and may gone for a while.

Comparison – Contrast essays:-

(Showing similarities and differences)

Comparison – contrast essays show the similarities and differences between two subjects. the information appears in a point by point pattern. These transitions are uses to compare and contrast.

SIMILARITIES	DIFFERENCES
both	however
similarly	By contrast
likewise	otherwise
same	different
and	but
also	while

E.g.:-

Both the blue whales and the whale shark are gentle giants, but otherwise they are quite different. The blue whale is an air breathing mammal, while the shark is a water breathing fish. Blue whales use song to communicate. Whale sharks on the other hand, are solidarity and silent. However both of these gentle giants deserve protection from hunters.