Ffeatures of a Film Review

When preparing to write our own film review, we had to look ay other film reviews to understand the structure and features.

Film reviews are concise, descriptive, and persuasive.  They are usually witty and sometimes very cutting.  Reviewers often use rhetorical devices to convince to reader of the validity of their analyses.  They rarely use effusive or simplistic language to describe, compliment or critique a film. 

The first thing we noticed was every film review had the title of the film. This is a key part to the review as the audience need to know what film you are writing about and to catch their attention.

The next point is the number of stars allocated to the film by the reviewer. This can be from 0 – 5 *. The more stars, the better the film should be.

The information line is the next part, this normally consists of the running time, certification and the key actors in the film. This can help the audience decide whether they want to see it due to the actors/actresses who appear in the film.

The opening paragraph usually consists of what’s called a ‘Hook’. This is normally a clever comment which reflects the reviewers overall opinion or impression of the film.

This is then followed by a brief synopsis of the film, this is cleaverly done without giving too much away to the reader.

The next feature is the development of the film. This is normally done in short paragraphs.

This consists of posiutive and negative points to the film. If the review is positive, they usually start with a brief analysis of the weaker points and then develop into the stregths of the film. However, if the review is negative, they tend to acknowledge the few strong points first and then go in to depth on the failings of the film.

An analysis of the film and critique aspects of the film is the next step. This may include the director’s interpretation or concept of the film, the design, style of shots and edits, music and sound, special effects, screenplay and the plot.

When referring to the director, they often make references to past film productions. This is so the audience can relate back to any of their previous films. They also relate the film to similar film; they relate them by the storyline or plot.

Most reviewers talk about examples of very poor or outstanding moments due to artistic choices. This cannot decide whether the film is good or bad as it is only talking about a specific part of the film.

The next paragraph is the conclusion. This is where there is an overall ‘sum-up’ of the opinion of the critic. Some critics end with advice to the readers, for example ‘make this your film of the year’; this gives them the final chance to interact with the audience before they make their decision.