Give a brief one or two sentence summary of the plot and a brief one or two sentence overview of the film’s themes (if it is a serious drama).
English 1102: Critical Reading and Writing
Film Review: 20 points
Length: 1500
Essay Due: Wednesday, July 2
Learning Objectives: 1) To learn how to evaluate all aspects of a film
2) To learn how to organize an essay based on topics in decreasing order of importance
3) To learn how to find and incorporate sources into your essay
4) To learn how to document sources using MLA documentation style
5) To learn how to revise and edit your essay through conferencing and peer review
Choose a full-length feature movie (no cartoons, documentaries, true life stories, independent films, foreign films, musicals, or television programs) that has been released in the past five years or so. You can also write on the film presented in class. Find at least six film reviews from on-line sources. The source must have an author’s name, a date, and a site affiliation. Do not use blogs or customer reviews – you must use the work of professional critics only.
For this assignment only, do not paraphrase any source – instead choose short quotes that are memorable or expressive of a particular opinion. The first time you refer to a critic, introduce his/her name and affiliation (e.g., According to Stephen Smith from the New York Times, . . . ). Thereafter, use only his/her last name without the site affiliation (e.g., Smith argues that . . . ). Compare your opinions of the film to those of other critics. Be sure to italicize the name of the website or magazine as well as any title of a film: New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Twilight, Casino Royale.
Present both negative and positive aspects of the film. Your thesis is your overall evaluation of the film and the major reason why you liked or disliked it. For instance, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets keeps the audience involved in the story” or “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has a very silly plot and only hardcore Harry Potter fans will enjoy it.” Give the essay a snappy title that indicates your opinion of the film. For instance, “Let’s Put Chamber of Secrets into the Chamber Pot.” Use MLA documentation throughout and be sure to include an entry in the Works Cited page for the film that you are critiquing.
Your essay should have only seven paragraphs which are structured as follows:
1. Introduction
a. Present the name of the film, when it was released, its director, writer, and major actors.
b. Give a brief one or two sentence summary of the plot and a brief one or two sentence overview of the film’s themes (if it is a serious drama).
c. Explain the genre of the film (romance, action, fantasy, etc.). Is it similar to some other films that you have seen?
d. Who is the audience for this film (age group, male/female, special interests, etc.)?
e. Briefly present the general pros and cons of the film as discussed by the critics (you do not need to use any quotations here – just give a general overview).
f. Present your own opinion of the film (your thesis). Why did you like or dislike it?
2. In the second paragraph, provide a general summary of the plot. Do not go on too long here. If the plot is complicated, figure out how to simplify it for the reader. You may have to forget about the subplots or some of the twists and turns.
3. In the third paragraph evaluate the film as a whole, including the writing. Cite the opinions of at least four critics. What do you think about these opinions? What are the major strengths and weaknesses of the film?
4. In the fourth paragraph discuss the acting. Cite the opinions of at least four critics. Do you agree with their opinions? Is the film well cast and acted? You might mention other films that the actors have been in. Give specific examples of the good or bad acting.
5. In the fifth paragraph discuss the directing and editing. How has the director chosen to present the story? Examine the pacing of the story and the various uses of the camera (interesting angles, close-ups, montages, panoramic views, cut-aways, slow motion, fast motion, changes in coloring, soft focus, etc.). Give specific examples of the effective or ineffective use of the camera. Cite the opinions of at least two critics.
6. Discuss the art direction – the costuming, the lighting, and the sets. Describe the costumes and explain how they represent the characters’ personalities, profession, social class, etc. Where is the film set? Why is this important to the story? What kind of lighting is used – daylight, night scenes, candlelight, etc. – and how does this affect the mood? Are there special effects? Explain what they are and why they were interesting, unusual, tedious, repetitious, excessive, etc. You may have difficulty finding any critics’ opinions on these subjects.
7. Conclusion. In the seventh paragraph summarize your evaluation of the film. What are the overall strengths and weaknesses of the film? Why should someone want or not want to see the film?
Be sure to begin each of the seven or eight paragraphs with a clear topic sentence that states your opinion. Do not begin or end a paragraph with a quotation. Instead, use the critics to develop the paragraph and use their opinions to compare and contrast with your own. Some critics may agree with you but others will have other opinions about the film. Present these differing points of view while maintaining your own opinion. Please pay attention to the correct MLA form for an online movie review:
Works Cited
Bradshaw, Peter. “Mad, Bad, and Deeply Unwholesome to Know.” Rev. of Twilight. guardian.com. The Guardian, 18 Dec. 2008. Web. 19 June 2012.
Tyler, Josh. “Twilight.” Rev. of Twilight. cinemablend.com. Cinema Blend, 19 Dec. 2008. Web. 19 June 2012.
For the film that you watch, use the following form:
Girl With a Pearl Earring. Dir. Peter Webber. Perf. Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. 2003. Sony, 2004. DVD.
In the body of the essay, provide a citation by repeating the name of the author. For instance: Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian believes that Twilight is a “remarkably inept film” (Bradshaw). The next time you use this source, refer only to the last name of the author. For instance: Bradshaw finds flaws in the acting which he calls “horrendous” (Bradshaw). Do not keep repeating “Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.”
Remember to italicize the titles of newspapers, websites, and films. Do not underline anywhere in the essay.
Be sure to use hanging indentation for each entry on the Works Cited page.
Start paragraphs 3-7 with your own opinion of the topic (plot, acting, directing, art direction, music). Use other movie reviews as a way to compare and contrast different points of view. End each paragraph with your evaluation of the topic. Comments from Support Team:
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