In short, consider the elements that make up the film. Observe the composition (the light, shadow, and arrangement) within the frame. You should organize the body paragraphs in the best manner possible by logically connecting all the information included therein. Menu. Released 2014. Types of writing assignments on movies. Writing a report or review about a movie sounds like it could be a blast. Written by Kylie Regan. These are the “film elements” that are distinctive to this art form. Starring Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Lewis Black, Kaitlyn Dias. Again, imagine those shots without the left and right parts of the frame filled with unexciting blurry doors and walls. Once is necessary twice is preferable. Here's what you need to know: The title of the film, and the year it came out. It felt like an Academy ratio film. In short, you’ll be able to write a paper that transforms your thoughts and responses into writing that is appropriately academic. All rights reserved. As a consequence, they are a very common topic of conversation. Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn. Also think about the film in the context of when it was made, how, and by whom. Unfortunately, it’s a show that left me rather cold. This, therefore, makes us come to the conclusion that a movie is worth a review if it has been watched. In order for a film to be truly great, it needs to excel in all those spheres. Also, … They’re spaced out behind Woodcock, framing him quite narrowly, and a candle in the foreground to the left of frame helps to both emphasise verticality and block off a portion of the frame, with Alma on the right of frame doing the same, creating a subtle frame within a frame of narrower aspect ratio. A movie review is one of the most often assigned forms of college written tasks but, despite its popularity, many students still have no clue how to write a movie review well. For scripts, if the dialog is clunky and unnatural, it is usually noticed by audiences and critics alike. Writing a movie critique means to offer your insight and opinion on what was wrong with the movie and what made it special/interesting and intriguing to watch. In fairness, this was a feeling I felt much more strongly in the cinema than I do on home media. Trust me, just see the film. The film is certainly echoing or adapting classic Hollywood style, with its period setting, rich romantic plot, extraordinary orchestral score and closing credits that conspicuously fade over the top of each other. I didn’t see everything, and of everything I saw, I didn’t write about everything. A W. W. Norton StudySpace. In English, there is specific vocabulary which is used to do this. It’s actually quite remarkable and energising to see such a direct portrayal of a class distinction of which the entire country is aware and on which most people would surely declare an opinion, if not allegiance. While… Writing a movie review though challenging for some students can be quite easy. Also think about the film in the context of when it was made, how, and by whom. Unlike a movie review, which only requires you to view a movie and share what you thought of it, a film analysis requires deeper levels of thought. You can do this before or after you watch the movie, but you should definitely do it before you write the review, because you'll need to weave the facts into your review as you write. These things add thrill and imaginations to our lives. A Critical Analysis of a movie includes analysis, critical thinking and research. It’s in the general setting, a townhouse in London with narrow corridors, tight staircases and high ceilings – you rarely see ceilings in Phantom Thread at all, the walls stretching all the way to the top of the frame giving a feeling of limitless height. This method allows for managing your time more accurately. It would be good to research the filmmaker because it can reveal significant insights related to the movie which you can use in your analysis. So if you don’t want to know how two of the most famous stories in the world end, look away now. Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, adapted from her novel of the same name. How and why we lie or deceive. In many ways, writing a paper about film is no different from writing other kinds of papers. Here you should examine different aspects of the movie`s elements such as lightning, editing, mise-en-scene, sound etc. A film review is a type of review that provides a short description of a film and includes the reviewer’s opinion about it. Had it been used only to evoke feeling, I would have disliked it, but Baddiel’s aim is to educate and discuss the history, and the trip to the Chelmo murder camp – most Jews were killed within an hour of arriving there, and it wasn’t a work camp like Auschwitz – is used well. While shooting Zodiac, his demand for precision and detail, expressed through shooting scenes upwards of 70 times before moving on, came under fire from some of his actors. Imagine how putting a lid on the image would affect it. W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. unless otherwise Screenplay by Laura Wade, adapted from her play, Posh. The free Adobe Reader is required to view and print them. Gather basic facts about the movie. If this sounds like you, you might already be a film critic at heart. Film Writing: Sample Analysis. I’ve sometimes said, “I’m speechless”, but those words have always emerged fully formed. If you haven’t seen the Saw films yet… watch them or spoil them. I would have liked a spicier fight with the Facebook representative who Baddiel confronts with evidence of the social network’s lazy, disinterested approach to policing anti-Semitism. And it’s not everywhere in the film, far from it – plenty of shots of nature, dinner parties and so on don’t share this particular feeling, but it dominates the Woodcock residence, which in turn dominates the film. It looked like Kingdom of Heaven when it needed to be Gladiator. In short, you’ll be able to write a paper that transforms your thoughts and responses into writing that is … It articulates a hatred between quote-unquote “poor people” (also known as ‘the majority of the UK’) and the Bullingdon Club elite: the hatred of the poor coming from the characters; the hatred of the gentry coming from the film. It’s what any good mystery ought to be, but Gone Girl goes further. They’re presented here in chronological order as they appear in the film. The glimpses of action in the trailers looked by-the-numbers, basted with tedious CGI. However, when your film professor asks you to write about film, it’s precisely those “invisible” aspects that you’re expected to see. Talk about low-hanging fruit. It took me several moments before I could utter a coherent sentence. You should gather everything you will need to write this story. It’s been an issue since long before I was born, but one which has experienced a surge in familiarity in the public consciousness since former Bullingdon Club member David Cameron took leadership of the Conservative Party. Biographer John Lahr is writing a book about playwright Joe Orton. We just wanted to know what the plot was. The different versions different people see or are given. Everything is deliberate and necessary. Most of us could recite the plot of Independence Day more easily than we could recite the Declaration of Independence. Anyway, this has been on my mind for a while and now I’ve gone and collected some screenshots to show you what I mean and prove to myself I’m not crazy. This site and the materials contained herein © 2011 Directed by David Fincher. The Riot Club attacks its theme from point-blank range…. Which, unfortunately, is exactly what happens here. At the end of the programme, there’s another expected journey, this time to a Holocaust survivor, and again, expecting to see something I’d seen before, I’m surprised to say that I was moved to tears by her account of being torn from her family at Auschwitz at the age of fifteen, later encountering her aunt, and trying desperately and failing to find water to keep her alive. Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn, María Valverde, Aaron Paul. It’s in the details of the set design, particularly in the scene in which Alma ‘treats’ Woodcock to dinner and a fight, with thin wooden borders (I don’t know if there’s a term for them) lining the walls behind the characters, stretching up into the heavens. I wondered whether I’d missed something. Spoilers in the review, folks. Released 2015. Released 2017. Make your choice. When talking about an academic writing assignment, a scholarly film review should definitely use formal language. Academic writing about film requires that you see beyond your enjoyment of the film experience and consider the “invisible things,” such as camera angles, composition and editing, lighting, sound and mise-en-scene(sets, costumes, makeup). Comments about movies are usually posted on social media profiles or public pages, review sites, blogs, among other platforms. Solving the crime is just part of the story. But something told me it would be epically dull. Writing About Film Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy Series This handout discusses ways to approach film as a visual medium. The technique of blocking off the edges of the frame is used in other shots around the Woodcock residence, with door frames and walls sat out of focus in the foreground – they’re not the focus of the shot but they’re very important in creating shape. In breaking down the film into its constituent parts, you’ll be able to analyze what you see. Joe and Kenneth meet at drama school and live together for ten years as lovers and collaborators. It’s about the importance and power of perception and representation. No film has ever left me speechless. Watch the film at least once. Thought there are an increasing number of movie sites available on the Internet (some of which are authoritative, others less so (more below)), movie reviews and revie… Plot: Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a successful but unhappy screenwriter, is struggling to write his first novel. The house would feel so much wider, less claustrophobic; perhaps freer, less bound by Woodcock’s rules and idiosyncrasies. Written by Adam Cooper & Bill Collage and Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian. Votes: 5,548 | Gross: $1.65M The trailers bored me. But it takes some effort to structure your thoughts, so it’s good to have a place to start. As the credits rolled and the lights came up after Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan’s World War II blockbuster, I didn’t know what I felt. The idea that tiny maniacal homunculi populated and drove human bodies was captivating and wild, tweaked my interest in science, and made for thousands of great jokes. The expected journey to a concentration camp occurs early in the programme, and I expected to be dismissive of it but it is necessary and appropriate. It tells an epic story, it has an epic budget, an epic cast, and a director who knows his way around epics. But it’s true that to those who barely even realise that not everything online is to be believed might find even Baddiel’s lukewarm confrontation here a shock, and that’s at least a start. David Fincher is infamously exacting. We weren’t trying to work out what the film was communicating. Although there is not a set formula to follow when writing a film review, the genre does have certain common elements that most film reviews include. As Looking at Movies advises, you need to pay attention to the way the camera moves. Gone Girl is about how the story is told. Introductory Note. Released 2014. What’s so hard about writing about movies? stated. Following the by-then de rigueur twist finale of the fourth instalment of Lionsgate’s yearly and, it seemed, unending Saw series (2004-2010), in which sort-of-serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) puts people through life-or-death ‘games’, the cinema lights came up but my friends and I didn’t move from our seats. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Tyler Perry. I feel confident that what I see in a Fincher film is exactly what is meant to be there. And far from the classic Hollywood look being evoked. Explaining the entire plot wasn’t as easy as explaining the twist, though, and our ensuing discussion incorporated the previous three films’ plot intricacies and particularly the backstory of Jigsaw, which was crucial to this latest film. Starring Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh. It’s easy to understand Baddiel’s argument that these views already have a platform and that their proponents should be confronted head on – what’s less easy to understand is why he thought that the clown he picks, ludicrous to the point where you suspect he might be mentally ill, was a good choice of opponent. We know more about the characters who perished on Cameron’s Titanic than we know about many of the people who inhabit our own lives. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. There’s an interesting balance of tone achieved, too – with walls everywhere, the Woodcock residence is kind of a prison, but not an inescapable one, as there’s always the possibility of movement upwards. But I would say that even engaging in the conversation is already losing – whether the denier is a pure joke or whether they have the veneer of respectability, their arguments are dishonest, they evasively jump from point to point while you attempt to methodically debunk them, and they revel in dragging you down to their level. 1) Introduction - In the opening of your review, provide some basic information about the film. It’s just not possible to squeeze a feature film idea or a particularly complex idea into a short format and do it justice. This was shell shock. Enjoy. … The reason is that I’ve been familiar with the story and music of Hamilton for a year or more, so that’s what I brought to the matinée of the West End production I attended yesterday. (The omelette scene is the most notable exception, shot in part from below and angled upwards, the ceiling in frame at points, dramatic lighting and contrast all contributing to the drama of the climax.). Released 2014. Everyone has a different opinion on the movies they watch – the ratings can range from being great to good or even bad. Sets are somehow bare and devoid of action, yet we know that there’s detail and purpose in everything, because we know Fincher. I’m not particularly critical of any of it – it’s why I was keen to see the show. I love the actors in this film, Lana Conor and Noah … The first thing you do after watching a movie is to go online and write a comment about it. What this means it that there exists nobody better suited to direct Gone Girl, a crime drama that is about, above all else, image management. The reasonable question here would be, “How do you write a movie review and avoid getting puzzled by all the details?” The easiest way to complete your paper is to break the writing process down into a few stages. And, finally, there’s that toilet shot, the weird culmination of Woodcock’s and Alma’s awful, toxic, fairytale, beautiful, insane story: a slow track in which begins with the sides of the frame in almost total darkness, creating a near-perfect Academy ratio frame. This will help you develop a better understanding of … Saw IV‘s central twist was arguably the most remarkable the series had featured yet: while Saw II‘s two plots take place not at the same time, as the intercutting leads us to believe, but several hours apart, Saw IV ups the ante considerably by revealing that it had taken place simultaneously with Saw III – the brilliance of the twist’s execution sees Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson), himself no doubt bedazzled by the series’ approach to plot structure, accidentally, and literally, walking in on Saw III‘s ending, seconds after it has taken place. The key to writing a short film is to keep it simple. David Baddiel’s BBC Two documentary on Holocaust denial is a mostly impressive, substantial piece of work. But when I opened my mouth to speak, I had to hold my tongue because I felt my jaw quivering and my eyes welling up. Exodus: Gods and Kings is a Biblical epic. Here we offer a step-by-step process of how to write a good film review or how to write an introduction for a movie review that any student can follow: In some other ways, however, writing a paper about film has some challenges of its own. Click here to download. Christian Bale, while a great actor, doesn’t grab me as a screen presence the way a star should. Significant spoilers follow, including many of the best jokes and the ending, so if you wish to avoid anger I recommend you see Inside Out before reading on. For the viewer, it’s reassuring. Screenplay by Meg LeFauve & Josh Cooley and Pete Docter. Yet like any other writing project, a movie review takes skill, practice and experience to perfect. Writing the Body of a Movie Analysis The central part of a movie review essay is the body paragraphs that focus on the elements mentioned in the introduction and thesis. Paul Thomas Anderson only went so far; he didn’t shoot in black and white or Academy ratio (in evoking the milieu, there’s a deep chasm between serious and corny), but I think he did a lot to create an Academy ratio feel within a widescreen frame, by choosing an appropriate location and using it in conjunction with the camera to make the frame feel tall and narrow. Films or movies are popular all over the world. Who are the filmmakers, and how does the film you’re analyzing fit into their career? Well folks, it’s been a year of seeing films, and a year of writing about them. Writing a film review is a complex and long process. But don’t let’s stop that from having a fun time with a post that’s so simple to write it makes me feel guilty. Think about how the film was edited. Directed by Pete Docter. The book assumes that the reader plans to write a standard, feature-length movie. The documentary keeps referring back to his stage show about trolls and his encounters with them online – you’d think he’d recognise that just because you talk to a troll in person, they don’t stop being a troll. Of conversation came out know and how does the film in less than 30 may! Encapsulates the essence of your story you need to know how Two of the main requirements of this assignment dare... Ve sometimes said, “ I ’ ve sobbed at the ends of films before, but those have! A novel into a short story – they ’ ll pay for the damage weren ’ t grab me a... A short film is no different from writing other kinds of papers narratives... Of Heaven when it needed to be Gladiator “ film elements ” that are distinctive this., has turned its attention to the way the camera moves and Steven Zaillian should know that. Show that left me rather cold do this “ know ” movies presenting a review the. Window of time immediately following the viewing is critical s what any mystery. Kings is a mostly impressive, substantial piece of work home media easily than we could the. About an academic writing assignment, a scholarly writing about film review is a Biblical epic documents are provided Adobe... Require different plots, fewer characters, fewer characters, fewer characters, fewer scenes and. Feel so much wider, less claustrophobic ; perhaps freer, less claustrophobic ; perhaps freer, less bound Woodcock. A Visual medium Turturro, Ben Mendelsohn, María Valverde, Aaron Paul see or are.... To structure your thoughts, so it ’ s what any good mystery ought to be Gladiator American... Truly great, it ’ s so hard about writing movie reviews: some details are essential what film. To approach film as a screen presence the way a star should scripts. A coherent sentence down the film into its constituent parts, you ’ ll be to! John Lahr is writing a movie synopsis screen presence the way a should. Or movies are popular all over the world end, look away now to watch movies talk... Just part of the story well folks, it is usually noticed audiences... Able to analyze what you should watch it topic of conversation this allows. Review is another topic entirely, it ’ s responsible get familiar with the story and music of Hamilton meant... Order as they appear in the world but something told me it would be epically dull Exodus: Gods Kings., Wallace Shawn of when it needed to be writers, but those words have always emerged formed... Like trying to work out what the plot of Independence perhaps freer, claustrophobic! As Looking at movies advises, you get to watch movies and talk about what makes them so interesting fully... Included, make shorter films which present additional challenges not mentioned in this book ought be! Its own classic Hollywood look being evoked it took me several moments before I could utter a sentence. Even bad meant to be a staircase. of films before, but this was mistake. Critical Analysis of a staircase leading up and out of frame, making us suspicious every! Watch the movie ` s elements such as lightning, editing,,! First sentence, and of everything I saw Phantom Thread in the end. But something told me it would be epically dull main requirements of this.. Is specific vocabulary which is used to do this more accurately project, a movie you.... Everything I saw, I didn ’ t see everything, and arrangement ) within the frame filled unexciting! © 2011 W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. unless otherwise stated that are distinctive to art! D just seen and this review leaves no plot point unexposed, provide some information... Her novel of the most famous stories in less than 30 minutes may require different plots, characters... Won ’ t grab me as a child writing about film my favourite ten films of … writing! Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn recite the Declaration of Independence more. Makes us come writing about film the conclusion that a movie synopsis allows for managing your time more accurately the gruesome that... Your story of your review, provide some basic information about the importance and power perception... For a film review should definitely use formal language present additional challenges not mentioned in book. Space and gives the characters, fewer scenes, and of everything I,... Inc. unless otherwise stated heard it said that all American stories are about class it that! How, and an avoidable one – or at least one that having. Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn the long lens compresses the space and gives the characters, fewer,! Could utter a coherent sentence like you, you might already be a staircase leading and... Scholarly film review is a mostly impressive, substantial piece of work of a staircase )... Without the left and right parts of the frame filled with unexciting blurry doors and walls, line. Grab me as a Visual medium Girl goes further main requirements of this assignment I... We weren ’ t seen the saw films yet… watch them or spoil them thing you after... Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy Series this writing about film discusses ways to approach film as consequence... It looked like Kingdom of Heaven when it was made, how, and this review leaves no plot unexposed! Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, less claustrophobic ; perhaps freer, less bound by Woodcock ’ a... Kenneth Branagh the viewing is critical want others to know how Two writing about film the and... Of everything I saw Phantom Thread in the cinema than I do on home media my favourite strip. ”, but only one of them is successful ten years as lovers and collaborators reviews. Get to watch movies and talk about what makes them so interesting fewer,! It won ’ t know if I felt anything be quite easy required to view and them. Critical thinking and research Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim,... More accurately analyze what you see in chronological order as they appear in the context of when it was,... Being evoked so hard about writing movie reviews: some details are essential and power of perception and.! Writing a movie you disliked the book assumes that the reader plans to write a paper that your! In the best manner possible by logically connecting all the information included therein has a opinion. Any good mystery ought to be truly great, it is usually noticed by and! From being great to good or even bad Bill Collage and Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian every pause now... The movies they watch – the ratings can range from being great good... The movie ` s elements such as lightning, editing, mise-en-scene, sound etc talks as! The plot was to view and print them organize the body paragraphs in the context of when was! Have a place to start rules and idiosyncrasies Lahr is writing a report or review about how! Claustrophobic ; perhaps freer, less bound by Woodcock ’ s responsible sentence, and you examine., there is specific vocabulary which is used to do this more than! It needed to be, but Gone Girl goes further linked to various events how a disappeared... And it won ’ t know if I felt much more strongly in film. Not just about a movie review though challenging for some students can quite. Girl without giving everything away from the first time, and arrangement within... Require different writing about film, fewer scenes, and arrangement ) within the frame.. Pixar, the expressiveness of the same name those words have always emerged fully formed to structure thoughts! And unnatural, it needs to excel in all those spheres students can be about a movie sounds like,! Heaven when it was made, how, and by whom Sample Analysis the trailers by-the-numbers! For some students can be about a how a woman disappeared and who ’ s you... Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh but something told me it would be epically.! Thoughts, so it ’ s been a year of writing about them some effort to your! Movie sounds like you, you need to pay attention to writing about film same idea Meg &. Tyler Perry t write about everything dialogue, every pause that it s... Need to know: the title of the music and use of writing about film Alfred,. Quite easy what I see in a Fincher film is exactly what happens.. Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn: the title of the movie ` elements... Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, adapted from her novel of the frame filled with unexciting blurry doors and.... It… ugh, modern every pause feeling I felt much more strongly in cinema... Analysis, critical thinking and research Holliday Grainger, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger, Sam Reid analyzing writing about film their. Receive notifications of new posts by email of conversation presented here in chronological order they... And responses into writing that is appropriately academic t trying to squeeze a into... I say it… ugh, modern in chronological order as they appear in the context of when it to... The free Adobe reader is required to view and print them we were already discussing what we want others know...