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Guide To Writing Film Reviews

The document provides guidance on writing a film review in four paragraphs. It advises including basic facts about the film in paragraph 1, explaining the plot in paragraph 2, discussing specific elements like acting and soundtrack in paragraph 3, and giving an overall opinion and recommendation in paragraph 4. The review should be impersonal and objective, using specific observations and facts rather than generalizations to help readers decide if they want to see the film.

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Alberto de Jesús Santos Villalobos
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97 views2 pages

Guide To Writing Film Reviews

The document provides guidance on writing a film review in four paragraphs. It advises including basic facts about the film in paragraph 1, explaining the plot in paragraph 2, discussing specific elements like acting and soundtrack in paragraph 3, and giving an overall opinion and recommendation in paragraph 4. The review should be impersonal and objective, using specific observations and facts rather than generalizations to help readers decide if they want to see the film.

Uploaded by

Alberto de Jesús Santos Villalobos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FCE 2 – GUIDE TO WRITING FILM REVIEWS

In the exam a film review is normally written for an English language magazine, newspaper or website. The purpose
is firstly to give factual information about the film and secondly to give an opinion about it, which will help the
reader decide if they want to see the film or not. You should include an overview, mention the pros and cons and
give an overall recommendation to the reader. The last paragraph should summarise your feelings and make it clear
to the reader if you recommend the film or not. A review is semi-formal, therefore you should write in an
impersonal style and not use too many contractions (I'm, don't etc.). You should be objective and only mention your
opinion in the first and last paragraph. Make sure you give reasons for your comments. Use precise, descriptive
vocabulary. Generalisations such as “This film is boring”, communicate very little to the reader. Specific observations
and concrete facts, on the other hand, help the reader to share your experience.
ADVICE
 use the question to plan your review
 write four paragraphs
 PARAGRAPH 1 – INTRODUCTION AND BASIC FACTS
 PARAGRAPH 2 – EXPLAIN THE PLOT
 PARAGRAPH 3 – TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC ELEMENTS (ACTING, SOUNDTRACK, LOCATIONS)
 PARAGRAPH 4 – GIVE OVERALL OPINION AND RECOMMENDATION
 don't give each paragraph a sub-heading
 give the review a title
 don't talk a lot about your opinions
USEFUL VOCABULARY
1. LEAD/STAR ROLE – PAPEL PROTAGÓNICO 5. PLOT – TRAMA
2. STARRING – PROTAGONIZADO POR 6. TO BE SET – DESAROLLARSE
3. SECONDARY ROLE – PAPEL SECUNDARIO 7. MAIN CHARACTER – PERSONAJE PRINCIPAL
4. SCRIPTWRITER – GUIONISTA 8. COSTUMES – VESTUARIO
USEFUL LANGUAGE

1.The film I would like to review is….. 11. Written/directed/produced by…….


2. What I liked the most was….. 12. Thrilling
3. Believable 13. I would highly recommend this film to…...
4. The characters were appealing and true to 14. The story is set in (location)……..
life.
5. To sum up….. 15. I was pleasantly surprised by…..
6. The film stars……. 16. Far-fetched
7. I would definitely recommend seeing….. 17. What I disliked was…..
8. The acting/dialogue/script is……. 18. The film was made/released in…...
9. The plot involves…... 19. Memorable
10. True to life 20. The story is based on (a book)……..
Read the film review and say in which paragraph the writer:
A) Explains the plot _____
B) Gives his opinion and recommendation _____
C) Talks about specific elements _____
D) Outlines basic facts of the film ______
BOND AT HIS BEST
The film I would like to review is Skyfall. Released in 2012 and directed by Sam Mendes
The film stars Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and Spanish actor Javier Bardem in the role of Raoul Silva, the
villain in this film.

The plot involves a genius computer hacker who is an ex-spy. He wants to take revenge on the organisation he used
to work for and James Bond has to prevent this from happening. There are a lot of exciting action scenes as Bond
pursues him around the world. Can he stop him before it is too late?

The story is set in a variety of locations including Istanbul, Shanghai, Macau, London and Scotland, which gives it a
very international atmosphere. The soundtrack is impressive and includes the theme song “Skyfall”, performed by
British singer Adele. The acting is also of a very high standard and Bardem brings his character to life with a dazzling
and memorable performance.

I would definitely recommend seeing Skyfall, especially if you are keen on action films. It will have you on the edge
of your seat until the very end and I am sure you will not regret watching it.

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