Everyone has to write reviews. Sometimes we write reviews of our own free will, and sometimes it’s a mandatory assignment to the university. One way or another, they need to be written with high quality and we decided to share a couple of secrets in you.
I want to clarify right away that this article is intended for amateurs. You should not look for the secrets of literary criticism and the subtleties of a critical analysis of the work in it. Only practice, pure practice for people who like to write reviews and want to do it better, and ideally get readers and a platform for publications. So, sharpen your pens, plug in your tablets, move the keyboards closer – let’s get started.
What is a Review?
Quite often, the concepts of “review” and “feedback” are confused, because the line between them is really very blurred. The main difference, in my opinion, is that the feedback is primarily the author’s impressions; and the review is more of an analysis, not only of the film but also of the work of actors, director, screenwriter, etc.
Since I sometimes watch films and write reviews on them, I decided to draw up some kind of a plan for writing reviews, because often there is a creative stupor, and having a plan will make it possible to visually see what to write about next. After reading materials on this topic on the Internet, plus I applied my experience and received the following set of points, which I will try to adhere to in the future and you also may try it.
1. Come up with an Interesting Title
The title of the movie must be present in the title since this is a keyword. But the “Interstellar movie review” headline is high school level. There should be some intrigue in the title, at least a little. Let’s say “Interstellar or separation from daughter for 30 years”.
2. Add Interesting Facts
In the first sentence, include a surprising fact or opinion about the film. You need to grab the reader’s attention instantly. From the first lines, he/she needs to get an idea of the nature of the review and the quality of the film (good, great, terrible, ordinary) in order to read on. You can also ask for help on the writing site, where professionals will show you, on a good example, how to write a good movie review for college.
You can also use ideas like this:
- Comparison with a current event or film: “Every day, state leaders, politicians, and experts call for retaliation against terrorists, sports rivals, or even rival political parties. At the same time, only a few feel the destructive, cold, and sacred nature of revenge as clearly as the characters in The Towering Inferno.”
- Brief review: “Despite the charm of Tom Hanks, who plays the main role, as well as the amazing music, the movie Forrest Gump was never able to get out of the shadow of an unconvincing plot and controversial plot.”
- Context or background information: Boyhood may well be considered the first film, the information about the creation process of which (leisurely filming over 12 years with the same actors) is as important as the picture itself. “
3. Write for Readers, not for yourself
To become a reviewer of the world of cinema, one must remember: the review is written for the readers of the review. No need to indulge in narcissism – “wow, I know a lot of smart words!” or “I watched and read this, and about what no one knows – I also watched and read!” A review is not a way of self-expression, but a purely utilitarian thing, written to guide readers in the ocean of book or movie production.
4. Add Emotions
The review should be written as soon as you have watched this or that film, as the relevance of your review will decrease every day because more and more people will see the film themselves. A review written with emotion is much more interesting than boring and static facts. So you should go to the premiere of the film with a notebook and a pen so that along the way you can make notes for yourself what you liked and what caused dissatisfaction or rejection. The article should be “alive” so that after it you would like to evaluate this film yourself.
5. Stay Objective
Perhaps it is the weakest and “sorest” point in the review of works of art in general, and in the field of cinema and theater, in particular. Absolute objectivity is unattainable in principle because the author’s personality cannot be separated from his/her work. Moreover, writing a review provides for the author’s analysis of the work and its assessment. However, objectivity is something to strive for if you want to write a good review that doesn’t look biased and one-sided. First of all, one should avoid categorical judgments, one should not allow oneself to make categorical judgments and superficial conclusions. We must give food for thought, and not impose ready-made formulations, not stuff anyone with formulaic judgments and stereotypes.
Summing up
It is very interesting to write a review of a film and it is not so difficult. You just need to follow the plan and everything will be fine. Just give it a try, you will definitely have a great review!
