How to write a film review? A brief note by Arun Prasad R, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Sree Narayana College, Kollam, Kerala

Introduction

Writing a film review involves careful observation, appreciation, drawing key insights and formulating the insights into writing. Just as appreciating any work of art, involves varying shades and levels of comprehension and appreciation, one can discern the fact that to review a movie, one can perceive two varying levels of perception- the one of the outer periphery of the movie, and the next that of inner or metaphorical levels of meaning. A successful film review aims to subtly etch both these spheres or levels of meaning, thus facilitating a better appreciation of a movie.

Significance of movie reviews

Movie reviews holds a significant position in the development of a sharp perception related to a movie. Movies are complex with underlying themes and artistic representations, which require deep insights. A review in this regard aims to successfully bring to light the underlying significance of themes and cinematic representations. Reviews highlight the significant values and aesthetic perspectives inlaid in a movie, and draws it to the attention of the audience.Today reviews occupy a commercial value too, for it has a significant role in deciding the successful and waning phases of a movie.

How to prepare a film review?

1.) Watch the movie with the strong intention of preparing a writing on the movie. The movie can be watched at least twice, the first of which involves watching the movie for a pleasure, noticing the peripheral aspects of plot, dialogues and a perception of thematic content. The second one could be an analytic viewership, wherein the preconceived notions based on the first view facilitates a deeper level of understanding a movie. The second viewing of the movie helps in a wider comprehension of the movie and a comprehension of the movie, its societal impact and artistic representations which serves to highlight its theme.

2.) Ensure to keep your viewing procedures well documented in a notebook, by taking down notes. The notes may highlight the people involved in the creation of the movie and their respective contributions. The thoughts pertaining to the movie may be written down with an objective temperament, sieving away any grains of subjectivity involved. In doing so, the chief motive is to link the movie and its utilitarian impacts on the society. A fair reviewer would highlight the successful and unsuccessful areas in the movie, which might require further polish. Thus a reviewer also acts as a mild critic, although the reviewer needn’t proceed into deeper levels of a critique.

3.) The content of the review may be outlaid in three paragraphs of which the first would serve as an introduction. The introductory paragraph may be enriched with details on direction and other related departments associated with the film creation. The production details may be highlighted here. The title of the movie should be mentioned with its meaning and metaphorical meanings, if any. The plot and the main theme may be rudely mentioned to set the mood of the readers to proceed to an elaborative note in the core paragraph.

4.) The core paragraph is entrusted with a narrative on the plot, however extra attention must be paid in not proceeding to move into its nuances, by providing only the tit bits to keep the reader enthusiastic enough in pursuing to watch the movie. In this sense, the twists and climax involved in the plot may be done away with.

5.) The concluding paragraph may provide an opinion on the direction, scripting, acting, video-graphic effects employed and the general impacts of the movie on the society.

In short, a movie review should ideally serve to highlight and rather introduce a movie, if not proceed into a critique of the movie. It should never proceed to a subjective stance, and instead serve to augment the movie, drawing the attention of the audience.