Writing the Movie Review: What do You Mean I Have to Research It!?
May 18 '01
The Bottom Line Research probably isn't anybody's favorite activity--it's certainly not mine--but a little bit of work can go a long way towards making your review "very helpful."
A few days ago, I was working on my review of Forced March, a movie dealing, among other things, with the life of Jewish Hungarian poet Miklos Radnoti. In preparation for writing the review, I watched the movie, then played it through a second time to note some of the more telling bits of dialogue and catch the closing credits.
I was especially impressed with the movie’s script and wanted to credit the writers for their work. The Internet Movie Data Base told me who the authors were. A website which offers brief biographies of poets gave me Radnoti’s dates of birth and death, so I could include some biographical information.
It occurred to me that my review might be stronger if I could actually quote some of Radnoti’s poetry. Small problem. While his work is still very popular in Hungary, Radnoti is not a household name in America. Examples of his work are hard to come by. I finally put the review on hold until I could get to a university library and check out a translation of Radnoti’s poetry.
This is a fairly extreme example of researching a review. The movie had moved me deeply, and I wanted to be sure I conveyed its power and anguish. I certainly don’t research all my reviews to this extent.
However, even though I’m not necessarily recommending you search the web into the wee hours of the morning or drop everything for a library run, I do believe that even the most scathing review about the most lightweight comedy can benefit from a little research.
What do you mean by research?
The dictionary defines research as “scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry” or “close and careful study.”
By definition, you will have to research any review you write by seeing the movie. I hate giving NH’s and very rarely do, but the fastest way to get one from me is to start a review by saying, “I’ve never actually seen this movie but my [best friend/mother/ex-husband/child/cat] has, and [he/she/it] says it [rocks/sucks].”
As you watch the movie, pay attention to detail. Try to remember character names, and keep track of plot twists. Remember to analyze your own reactions to the film.
So now you’ve seen the movie. You know the characters and plot, and you recognize most of the actors. Furthermore, you’ve also realized that the storyline is weak, the script could have (and probably should have) been written by monkeys, and the actors all look like they are only involved in the project because someone held a gun to their heads.
Are you ready to start writing? Maybe…but chances are, your review would still benefit from more research…
It’s All in the Details
“God is in the details,” a popular saying goes. I don’t know about God, but I do know that the key to a successful movie review on Epinions lies in specific, concrete details.
Take that movie we talked about in the previous section. Remember the monstrous script? The best way to show that the script is truly awful beyond belief is to quote a few of the worst lines of dialogue. Unless your memory is far better than mine, this often means watching parts of the movie again and scribbling down the most memorable lines.
Want to give a well-deserved jeer to the writer? Want to compliment the director for the few good scenes? Unless you know offhand who wrote and directed the picture, it’s back to the credits.
Another source to check out the people involved in the production of a movie is Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com/), a huge website with information about thousands of pictures including new releases. Some movies also have their own websites which may provide the information you’re looking for.
This obviously requires a little effort than just sitting through the movie, but the information it can add to your review is well worth the trouble.
So…now you know that the film was written by Ima Idiot and directed by Tritu Saveit. You’ve got a few of the worst quotes from the script scribbled down on your trusty notepad (unlike me, I hope you can read your own writing). Now are you ready to start your review? Probably…
Unless…
The Final Touches
Do you know (or can you find) something extra for your review? Something to make it truly stand out?
As I mentioned earlier, in my review of Forced March, I included some of Radnoti’s poetry to give people an extra sense of the man and of the film. I also took the time to look up the dates of Radnoti’s birth and death.
Other examples of extras could include:
--Information about the making of the film. Have you heard, or read, an interview with one of the actors or with the director? Do you know from reading Entertainment Weekly that the star was arrested three weeks into filming so the rest of the movie had to be shot with doubles? Was there conflict on the set? Did the two leads fall in love?
--Source material. Is the movie based on a book or a stage play? If so, have you read it/seen it? How does it measure up?
--Current events. Does the movie tie into anything currently in the news, or can you find some interesting statistics or quotes to make the movie especially relevant? If I were writing a review of The Insider, for instance, I might hop online and see if I could find actual excerpts of the tobacco industry’s CEOs’ testimony before Congress.
--Historical events. If you’re a history buff, this one’s for you. Does the movie portray historical events accurately? If not, what does it do wrong? Can you find a few interesting quotes or figures?
Please note that these extras I’m discussing are not necessary to get a “Very Helpful” rating from me. All I need is a solid review with adequate details and accurate facts. But if you go the extra mile, I’ll be very impressed!
Also, please note that these extras should never form the substance of the review. They are the icing on the cake; not the cake itself.
A Few Tips for Using Research or Now That I’ve Got It, What Do I Do With It?
So now that you’ve got all these names, facts, figures, details, etc. floating around in your head (and hopefully on your notepad), how do you go about integrating them into your review? Here are a few ideas.
--Work the research into your narrative as smoothly as possible. The focus should always be the review. For instance, if you’re incorporating information from an interview you’ve read, you might say something like, “A few months ago, writer Ima Idiot (best known for her work in the Brainless Romance series) told Entertainment Daily she had no interest in working on Shriek 3. It shows. Her disinterest is evident in the lack of plot, the absent character development, and the failure of the script to rise beyond the level eighth grade locker room humor.”
A general rule—your review should read as if you came by all this information effortlessly. You may know that you searched twenty-one web sites and stayed up until three in the morning to find the name of the man who directed The Monster Ate My Hamster, but your audience should just read, “This surprisingly eerie little flick, directed by Burr N. Dout…”
--Don’t tell ‘em everything you know. When I wrote my review of Tootsie, I collected three pages of clever quotes and witty dialogue from the movie. Out of those three pages, I think I used two examples. Similarly, I found out far more about Miklos Radnoti and his life than I used in my review of Forced March.
You may find that a lot of your research never makes its way into your finished review. That’s fine. You don’t have to list every cast member, every assistant, every fact and figure you came across, etc. But to twist an old saying, it’s better to know it and not need it than to need it and not know it.
--Name your sources. Some things are common knowledge, or so easily available (e.g., dates of births and deaths, names of performers in leading parts) that in an informal forum like this, you don’t really need to back them up. However, if you’re stating a little known or controversial fact, you should reveal your source. Again, it’s enough to say something like, “In the June 2001 issue of Cosmolobotomies, actress Y. Mi revealed…” A special note of caution. If you’re quoting another person (as I quoted Radnoti’s poetry), be sure to cite the source and give credit to the original author.
Still Haven’t Convinced You?
Okay, so you’re one of those people who wants to have fun on Epinions and can’t believe you could possibly have fun and do research at the same time. If you can watch and intelligently analyze the movie, you’ll still get your HR’s from me. Just please do me a couple of favors.
--If you don’t know it, don’t say it. If you don’t know who played the starring role or what the leading character’s name was, don’t guess. For instance, please don’t tell me that Olivia de Haviland played Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. For that matter, don’t tell me that Vivian Lee played Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. If I catch you in one glaring error, it will be hard for me to trust anything else you have to say about the movie.
--Give what information you can accurately. Don’t point out the gaping holes. I’ve read many reviewers who sabotage decent work by saying, “Well, I don’t know who the director is and I didn’t want to look it up, but he did a great job.” You can cover yourself much better by saying something like, “The director effectively used color and lighting to convey the nuances between good and evil.” Many readers won’t even notice you didn’t give the director’s name.
Summary
Research probably isn’t anybody’s favorite activity—it’s certainly not mine—but a little bit of work can go a long way towards making your review “very helpful” for the reader.
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Epinions.com ID:
solleks
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Member: Debra Stang
Reviews written: 124
Trusted by: 94 members
About Me:
Medical social worker, freelance writer, proud member of the lesbian community.
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