How to Write a Movie Review

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Do you have to learn how to write a movie review for college or for your employer? First of all, you may ask what the movie review itself is. Look at the following features you should know:

1. The most important element of the movie review is your personal opinion about the movie. 2. Do not forget that you have to use a critical approach toward the movie content, its technical and other features.
2. Remember that a review should not be more than 1000 words.
3. It is the artistic work because you have to use your creativity here.

You may think that the movie review writing doesn’t take much time; however, do not postpone your work. The preparatory stage may take a great deal of time. Include all those elements to compile a comprehensive and convincing work.

The following article will give you a better knowledge of how to write a review of a movie and will provide more tips on the topic.

Preparations for Movie Review Writing

The first step is the choice of the movie. If your instructor hasn’t chosen the movie for discussion, try to find a movie yourself. Of course, instructions can specify the genre of the film, but if you are given a free hand, it is even better. Here are the tips to be followed:

• It has to be a well-known movie.
• The reviewed movie should be received well by public and critics.

That is how you will enjoy both the process and the result.

As a second step, you have to watch the movie. As it is not easy to notice all the details from the first viewing, you have to be ready to watch it two or three times.

With the first viewing, you will get an overall impression of the movie. Try to comprehend and understand the atmosphere of the film. You should not try to memorize all the details. Get fully absorbed in the mood of the story.

With the second viewing, you have to pay closer attention to the details and some specific features, namely, acting and costumes of the actors, sounds, and effects, editing etc. At this stage, you may conduct your own research of the issues raised in the movie to get a deeper understanding of the scenario. That is the only way your opinion can be called credible. After conducting an investigation, you can add some interesting details to your paper that will be interesting for the readers.

You can watch the movie for the third time if you couldn’t formulate your viewpoint. You may not watch the whole movie itself, only the most important parts. This time, try to connect both the technical and thematic elements to understand their combination in the film.

For a better understanding of the director’s work and approach, you may watch several other movies created by that particular director. That is how you can analyze his style. As for the actors, you have to analyze their work as well. You can check out how the actors portrayed their characters, whether their acting corresponds to their regular movie specialization.

Make sure to take notes about the important scenes and some breathtaking moments. They can become a starting point for your paper. You can also note some phrases of the key characters. Some of them may be used as an epigraph.

To add some curious facts, you can provide some information about the process of shooting. You may also include the fact that the movie has some awards if it does. Do not forget to state your personal opinion.

Also reading of other professional reviews may be useful for you to get the basic knowledge about how the critics would do it. Those reviews can be found in such famous magazines as Rolling Stones or The Washington Post.

Other Steps to Take When Writing A Great Review

Below you can find the list of stages of the writing process. Following them will help you to manage your time and successfully write a movie review.

1. Your introduction should catch the eye of the reader immediately.
2. Don’t postpone writing your opinion and evaluation.
3. Make a short summary for the plot.
4. Make sure to describe your first and overall impression of the movie.
5. Tell the readers what is the purpose of the movie.
6. Provide some information on the process of filmmaking.
7. Open the depth of the scenes and acting.
8. Give some interesting examples from the movie.
9. Remember that your piece of writing demands strong ending.
10. Do not forget about proofreading.

If your personal opinion of the movie is negative, remember that you still have to analyze all the elements of it. Do not express only your negative emotions, review it from a professional stance. Thus, it is highly recommended for you to read the reviews of other critics.

We hope, you found those guidelines showing how to write a movie review useful for yourself and will apply it for writing your future reviews!