Writing Movie Reviews Samples For Students

The film Big Fish is a story about Edward Bloom, a man who constantly finds magic in his life. Edward has told wonderful stories about his life to his son, who feels annoyed because they are unrealistic. When Ed Bloom is dying a conventional death in a hospital, his son finally understands the importance of storytelling. His father asks him to narrate his death and he realizes he can paint a better picture than the one they´re in. It would even be better to remember his story instead of the way things actually happened.
This film reminds us to look for details ...

The Title of the Play; Angels in America

According to Tony Kushner play writer, the title gives the impression of actual spiritual nature in the United States. The play is his great amazing achievement in his playwriting, which bring him celebrity and broad success all over the world. According to Prior, a character in the play, there are actual angels in their fair country (Kushner, 21). He said that the angel crashed through his ceiling this implies that there was one angel at least. In United State the angel implies that she is the spiritual essence hence referred as the continental principality in the country.
The play ...

Finding Forrester, Gus Van Sant's 2000 follow-up to his critically acclaimed film Good Will Hunting, follows a young black youth named Jamal (Rob Brown) whose entrance into a well-respected private high school coincides with his befriending of an eccentric, reclusive Salinger-like fiction writer (Sean Connery), who teaches him to cultivate his writing skills. The film centers around this mentor-mentee relationship, as Forrester befriends someone for the first time in decades, while Jamal finds someone who believes in the things he is actually passionate about. Finding Forrester is a sentimental, treacly yet fairly effective movie that touches on ideas of anti-intellectualism, racism, inner-city ...

In reflecting upon the movie And the band played on, one of the most curious issues is that of the title its self given that the film is about what one character in the course of the dialogue adequately states as “This is not a political issue, this is health issue.” (Spottiswoode) As such, the quote indicates that the film is indeed about a serious health issue rather than a study of popular music culture.

In this case the writer considers that the title of film taken from the book of the same name represents the concept that throughout the story seemingly ...

Introduction

A great script full with twists and unpredictability influences the success of a film to a great extent. The 2003 award-winning film adaptation, a comedy drama written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze exemplifies creativity in filmmaking. It is wickedly playful in construction and records the torments of a screenwriter who is not adept at writing a movie about orchids. Ironically, the film manages to have the story effectively told in a captivating and exceptionally creative manner by incorporating two lines of stories into one. The film narrates the true story of Charlie Kaufman and his struggles to adapt the book The Orchid ...

Part 1

The earliest known form of writing was the Sumerian language. The Kish tablet is the oldest extant document from that time period with writing on it, but the largest early collection of Sumerian writings were found at Jemdet Nasr. Writing developed as a set of logographic signs that later were changed into a logosyllabic script that had a few hundred signs; researchers found 468 different signs used in documents found at Sumerian Lagash. The period from the 26th through the 24th centuries BCE are considered the classical period of Sumerian cuneiform writing. Anthropologists were able to decipher the Sumerian from Akkadian glossaries, ...

The 2005 film, Constantine explores the ideas of heaven and hell and their impact on the day to day lives of the people on Earth. In terms of its success, the film was, financially, a big one and took a total of $230,884,728 at the box office. However, it was greeted by a mixed reaction from critics and audiences alike – this was largely due to the film being based on a popular comic book series entitled Hellblazer. The film tells the story of John Constantine, a man who is able to see demons and angels at work on Earth and takes on ...

In revising this piece, one of the main aspects that needs to be addressed is the choice of language used. In a piece of academic writing, it is essential to use formal language. In this piece the student has, at times, used colloquial language. An example of this is the line, “The cinematography followed the look established in Batman Begins by using subdued colours, lots of darkness and a more restrained visual style than the one seen in the late 80s and 90s”. Instead of the words ‘lots of,’ the student should have used something more formal, for example ‘many’. This ...

Films have developed out of dramatic and narrative tradition in which storytelling is used as a central concern. The filmmakers have challenged the manipulative and seductive power of narratives by using playful resistance to the convention of narratives, or by exploring other forms of medium. For example, filmmakers have used the interplays of gesture and rhythm, sound and image rather than relying on character psychology and plot mechanics. However, non-narrative film has a smaller audience than narrative films. A good example is aircraft passengers watching the direction of the nearest exit pointed out by flight attendants, which reminds the audience the ...

Often touted as an ‘unfilmable’ novel, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi told the story of a young Indian boy named Pi who, over the course of the story, finds himself on a small life raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with only a dangerous Bengal Tiger (whom he names Richard Parker) to accompany him. Here, he goes on a hazardous journey of survival, during which he explores his spirituality and is taken to the depths of his understanding of life itself. Ang Lee’s 2012 film masterfully adapts these themes into an elegant, fairytale-like story that is alternatingly presentational and ...

- Pitch Perfect
- Identify the Climax: The climax of the movie was the part wherein the protagonist, and the other members of her band, the Barden Bellas, made it into the intercollegiate a capella competition’s finals to fight once again after suffering from an embarrassing and devastating loss the previous year. In the climax, the Barden Bellas came in to fight, once again, their long-time rival, an all-male a capella singing group from the same university, in the competition’s finals. The outcome of the climax was a win for the Barden Bellas in the singing competition.
- ...

No other American film auteur in the modern era has had a greater impact on the industry than Steven Spielberg. The man who created E.T. and Jurassic Park has personalized the art of filmic storytelling to a greater extent than any other director. In fact, it could be argued that Spielberg has so popularized the auteurist tradition that directors who have been inspired by the Indiana Jones movies and Poltergeist believe putting their personal stamp on a movie represents the height of the director’s art, the norm rather than the exception. Contributions from the great European directors of Francois Truffaut’s ...

Introduction

The film Last Vegas, directed by Jon Turteltaub, was released in 2013. It stars cinematic heavyweights like Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline. Some of these actors, like Kline and Douglas, have faded into general obscurity in recent years, but still have managed to maintain relative clout with their reputations, making this film seem like it was going to be one to remember. Unfortunately, most will probably remember it as one they wish they could forget. The storyline is boring, the jokes are stale, and the material is dull. There are a few redeeming qualities about ...

The Pursuit Of Happiness Summary

Movie is a form of art just like literature, music and paintings but movie is much beyond that. Movie is a pictorial representation of a story one reads in a book. Movie is an expression of life in motion as one sees in paintings. Movie is a medley of colors and sound which provide a gateway to its audience from all the worries of life for a short while. Movie is a means of escape from the reality of life to find solace in something more cheerful. During Great Depression when people were bogged down with the distressing economic condition of the country, many Americans find something ...

Seven Days in May

Some individuals are concerned about the increasing activity that is OccupyWallStreet. In our own town, there are even some individuals demonstrating here, and individuals are concerned, especially those in power and authority. Some that fear think that the individuals protesting have an issue with capitalism and how it performs. Some that fear think that the individuals protesting strategy on overthrowing government and changing it with socialism, or what they think is socialism. As a news reporter, the writer cannot say one way or the other- the writer can only notice and recommend a film to motivate further believed.
An American ...

In the summer of 1974 a then 26 year old Steven Spielberg is going about his business of making sure that his movie about a shark that had overshot the expected $3.5 million budget does not sink his career in Hollywood. Everything that could go wrong had already gone wrong and it was hard to see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel. The movie he was making was Jaws, a movie that is today classed as a master piece in many circles and topping many greatest films lists while being one of the most commercially successful films in movie ...

Film/novel; Winter's Bone/Winter's Bone Daniel Woodrell/Debra Granik

‘Hope” is the beauty and the very essence of life. A day follows a night, every sunset is followed by sunrise, light at the end of the tunnel – you can ramble on and on so forth. Art in any form, be it a painting, a literary work or a movie is supposed to celebrate the gift of life and most of the time it does. Every fairy tale has a happy ending, a lovely piece of melody fills us with joy of living and a beautiful painting reminds us about the existence of God.
But novels and movies cannot always be preaching how good conquers ...

Business

Organizational Structure
For the CEO position, I choose “Gordon Gekko” from the movie “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”. This is because Gekko possesses the qualities of an organizational leader who can make everyone in the organization move with with just a snap of the finger. In the movie, Gordon was able to get the attention of the people after imprisonment by writing a book. Even though Winnie did not accept Gekko, Gordon never stops to please Winnie with the help of Jacob. However, there is an instance where Gecko needs to cheat Jacob because Gordon wanted get the money which ...

The mysterious growth of the Chinese economy today had diverse effects on the social well-being of the country. The economic growth in the country failed to portray equal social development among the citizens. This fantastic colossal growth of the economy has impacted negatively on the social lives of the people in the country. Through globalization, today cultural crashes and the need to embrace the changes continuously affect the national development in a country (Williams, 2008). In the case of China, a communist country is trying to adapt to the capitalist world to sustain its development. With the integration of ...

Birdman, also referred to as ‘The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,’ is a 2014 American comedy movie. The film was produced and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by the director and a couple of other people. The starring of the movie is Michael Keaton and has a supporting cast that includes people like Edward Norton, Amy Ryan, and Zach Galifianakis, among others. Riggan Thomson, the star of the movie, is regularly tormented by the scornful and critical voice of the Birdman. In most instances, he visualizes himself doing several feats of telekinesis and levitation. He believes that one ...

Film Analysis Paper: Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Part 1: Select a film that deals with a topic from contemporary history (roughly the period from 1900-2008). It should be a narrative/feature film. Please do not select a documentary. The film can be recent (made within the last ten years) or something older (i.e. black & white). It can be American-made film or a foreign film. The only guideline is that it must primarily tell a story set in the past.
The Rwandan genocide between the Hutus and Tutsis was a particular event in history that has marked not only the nation it affected but the whole world ...

Philosophy of “Rashomon”

“Rashomon” by Akira Kurosawa is a Japanese drama shot in 1950. Based on the two novels by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa ("Rashomon" and "In a Grove"), the film depicts several stories of the same incident. The name of the film is the name of the city gate in Kyoto. It is the point where the film begins and where the woodcutter and the priest tell their incredible story to the commoner. The release of the Japanese movie was a real breakthrough – among its awards, it won the Golden Lion and the Academy Honorary Award.
The film aims to demonstrate the controversial picture ...

Movie Review of Erin Brockovich

Introduction
“It only takes a single act of kindness to turn the world around and put yourself at the center of it.” If there is one statement that could describe the plot of the film Erin Brockovich, the beginning statement captures everything. Erin Crockovich is a true story of a woman who fought the ill practice of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Released in 2000, the film that stars Julia Robert was a biographical sketch of how a single mother has been able to overcome the challenges presented her coming from an accident and an unsuccessful lawsuit. While the film was a success, ...

Watching the film offers inspiration and enlightenment on doing something within set personal goals. The setting is at Welton Academy located in Vermont. The school presents a traditional set-up of a boy’s preparatory school. The film represents events that took place in 1959. During the period, the school has not received external pressure to admit young black students. Further, it represents the perceptions of young white scholars who have access to a vast wealth. The film revolves around an alumnus of the institution and seeks to return as an English teacher. His style shakes up the institution due to the enthusiasm ...

Death defying stunts, combat aerobatics and epic matchups are just some of the notable features comprising a martial arts movie. People who are unaware or disinterested in this genre would often argue that these movies just advocate violence and killing. However, this conceptualization of martial arts films had been refurbished and reinvented by one man as his work ethic, ideology, acting, directing, and way of the fist exemplified that there is more to martial arts films than just pure violence and conflict. Many people – from artists, martial arts practitioners to fans – would hail this man as an indispensable foundation to ...

Critical review of the movie “The Help”

Synopsis of the movie
The Help is a 2011 motion picture directed by Taylor Tate and based on Kathryn Stockett’s bestseller under the same title. The movie’s setting is Jackson, Mississippi which was one of the most violent and dangerous towns for African Americans and consequently vehemently resisted the civil rights movement. The movie is based on the untold lives of African American women in their service to their Caucasian counterparts. The movie’s main characters are Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan and Aibileen Clark. Skeeter is an idealistic young lady who has just returned to her home from ...

The movie “ Flowers for Algernon” was released in February 2000. The movie is based on a short written by Charlie Gordon who acts as the main character. Charlie is 32 years old who has an IQ of 68.
In the movie, Charlie who is the main character and the main narrator is the subject of the movie through his mental retardation and the urge to improve his mental status. He attends special classes that are aimed at improving his reading and writing skills to make him smarter. To help him achieve this feat, teacher Alice Kinnian offers her night ...

English 2

Passion is one characteristic that drives creative individuals, enabling them to commit themselves and give everything they can to a thing they love to do. While some are successful in achieving what they desire, others are less successful in realizing their desires. They can only watch from afar, wanting to be absorbed. This anxiety is what the movie, “Adaptation” presents. Directed by Spike Jonze, and written by Charlie Kaufman, this semi-autobiographical film focused on Kaufman’s personal struggles in adapting the book The Orchid Thief. Likewise, this movie also presents the melancholy of having creative freedom when you know that ...

The 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction, directed by Marc Forster and starring Will Ferrell, tells the tale of a humdrum IRS agent (Will Ferrell) who finds himself learning that he is actually a fictional construct, a character in a story being written by Kay Eiffel (Emma Thompson). As he deals with the constant meddling of an authorial force in his life, and making sure he is not insane with the help of a professor (Dustin Hoffman), he soon learns that Eiffel plans to kill him off in her own story, in order to make her writing interesting and cure her writer's block. The film ...

“What happens when wrong feels right and right feels wrong? When situations that appear to be black and white turn out to be gray?” (The Literary Analyst).The bygone philosophy of novelists writing what they desire stands firm. For me, a director holds the same status when it comes to films, in fact all artists irrespective of their desired form of art should have the liberty to think and make people do the same. This perfectly sounds true of Ben Affleck’s triumphant and remarkable debut in Gone Baby Gone (2007), which is an adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s heavily ...

The story mainly focuses on the John Nash’s life. In the story we see John Nash earning his PhD in mathematics from the University of Princeton after writing a thrilling thesis. His thesis that earned him Ph.D had his foundational work on the theory of noncooperative games. This thesis was published in the year 1950. The beautiful mind can be described as the story which incorporates these biographical details and which omits other characters to tell its story using invented characters and plot. This paper will comprehensively and coherently provide a summary of the movie by the title beautiful mind.
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One of the most intriguing facts about the dystopian genre is that it did not appear until humanity had almost reached its apex in terms of knowledge and technology. The horrors of the First and Second World Wars showed that humanity would use its very best in terms of technology to do its very worst to one another, as mustard gas, hand grenades, nuclear bombs, and death camps made their first appearances on the planet. Led by such writers as George Orwell, the early practitioners of dystopian literature showed us our own future as it would be if human ...

The protagonist in the movie Precious manifested many of the major issues that

adolescents go through. For one, she had low self-esteem. In her words, Precious described herself as an “ugly black grease, need to be wiped away” (Daniels, 2009). On her first day in Ms. Rain’s class, she didn’t think that she was good at anything when her teacher at her previous school knew very well that she was very good in math.

It could be assumed that her low self-esteem was caused by the way her mother

treated her. Her mother constantly beat her, treated her like a slave, and forced her to eat. Her mother said demeaning words to her and belittled her. As Precious surmised, “Momma said I can't dance. Plus, she ...

The novel and the film Fight club are prominent artistic achievements both in their own field of art. When we bring these two pieces of art together we get an excellent psychological and visual critique of capitalistic society, material world and mediocrity. However, there are some differences between the film and the novel opening different perspectives. In this paper I will try to analyze both Palahniuk's and Fincher's beginnings and endings and compare their perspectives on the story.
The novel and the movie begin with an intense situation where Tyler Durden holds a gun in the mouth of the ...

Michelle Williams becomes Marilyn Monroe in the film My Week With Marilyn. It is obvious that Williams spent hours studying both movie and news footage of Monroe. Williams perfectly portrays Monroe’s voice, body language, and facial expressions. This film gives viewers a glimpse into Monroe’s fragile ego. Monroe’s low self-esteem causes her to be late on the movie set and influences who she chooses to have in her inner circle.
The story is told from the perspective of the young Colin Clark. Clark was only twenty-three years old when he landed his first job in filmmaking ...

Introduction:

American Beauty is a fine film which demonstrates the mid life crisis a person goes through when his/her marriage is failing and an affair is entered into. It contains some typical embodiments of the American dream as well as some materialistic aspects which continue to dominate the plot like a leitmotif during the film. Obviously there are comparisons and contrasts as both parents played well by Kevin Spacey and Thora Birch, the latter in the role of the materialistic wife Jane. Ultimately Lester Burnham who is the main character in the film has an affair with a cheerleader friend of his neighbor and ...

Final Film Critique: American Psycho

The film, American Psycho (Harron, 2000) is based on the book of the same name, written by Bret Easton Ellis and is fundamentally preoccupied with the idea of wealth, sex and success as being significant drives behind human behaviour. Its central protagonist, Patrick Bateman is a mass-murdering psychopath whose actions are driven almost singularly by his desire to be the best: the richest, the most successful, the most popular and somewhat bizarrely, the man with the best business card. Set in 1980s New York, the film is a discussion of yuppie culture taken to its absolute extreme and is hugely successful ...

Final Film Critique: American Psycho

The 2000 film, American Psycho is based on the book of the same name, written by Bret Easton Ellis and is fundamentally preoccupied with the idea of wealth, sex and success as being significant drives behind human behaviour. Its central protagonist, Patrick Bateman is a mass-murdering psychopath whose actions are driven almost singularly by his desire to be the best: the richest, the most successful, the most popular and somewhat bizarrely, the man with the best business card. Set in 1980s New York, the film is a discussion of yuppie culture taken to its absolute extreme and is hugely successful in ...