Film Criticism 101

Anyone can call a movie “spellbinding,” “nail-biting,” “hilarious,” “incendiary,” and a slew of other flashy adjectives. This is not the aim of film criticism, though. Film criticism is about explaining, in explicit detail, why a movie is “spellbinding,” “nail-biting,” etc. Describe and analyze particular scenes from the movie that illustrate your praise or dislike. Compare the movie to the director and actors’ previous work or films within the same genre. A critic’s job is to contextualize movies, not promote them. Reviews should provoke intelligent discussion, not serve as simple endorsement, which brings me to my second point: DON’T FOCUS ON PERSUADING YOUR READERS.

This may sound like blasphemy to aspiring entertainment journalists, but film reviews should not read like persuasive essays convincing readers to either see or avoid a particular movie. The best reviews are the intimate ones that detail the critic’s personal experience with the movie, the ones that don’t try to “sell” the readers. Here’s an example from the late, legendary critic Pauline Kael…

“I came out of the theater, tears streaming, and overheard the petulant voice of a college girl complaining to her boyfriend, ‘Well I don't see what was so special about that movie.’ I walked up the street, crying blindly, no longer certain whether my tears were for the tragedy on the screen, the hopelessness I felt for myself, or the alienation I felt from those who could not experience the radiance of ‘Shoeshine.’ For if people cannot feel ‘Shoeshine,’ what can they feel? Later I learned that the man with whom I had quarreled had gone the same night and had also emerged in tears. Yet our tears for each other and for ‘Shoeshine’ did not bring us together. Life, as ‘Shoeshine’ demonstrates, is too complex for facile endings.”

What a lyrical review. Reviews should be like Kael’s: vivid outpourings of emotion that read almost like pages ripped out of someone’s diary. Unfortunately, most critics these days sound like car salesmen, promising their customers a “rip-roaring good time.” Don’t worry about how the audience will feel. Focus on how you feel. Reviews should be treated like any other form of personal expression. On that note, let’s look at some specific “do’s and don’ts” of film criticism.

DO’S

• Approach reviews like thesis papers. The more you follow a strict structure, the easier the review is to write. Like when writing a thesis paper, always follow a clear, logical progression of ideas.
  Stick to a major point. For example, if your thesis is, “With its understated direction and naturalistic performances, the film subverts genre expectations,” do not devote a paragraph to the eclectic quality of the soundtrack or the beauty of the costumes. Focus on what you set out to explore with your thesis: the understated direction and naturalistic performances.
  Always provide support for your opinions. If you write, “This film digs deep into the mind of Ray Charles,” explain how. If you say a film fails miserably in all aspects, explain exactly why and how it fails in each one of those areas.
  Use scenes from the movie as examples as much as possible to support your opinions.

DON'TS

• Don’t devote too much of the review to summarizing the plot. One brief paragraph is sufficient.
  Don’t write a paragraph for “miscellaneous opinions.” For example, after you’re done supporting your thesis, don’t write a paragraph like this--“In addition to the powerful performances, the film has an eclectic soundtrack full of interesting songs. Speaking of interesting elements, the film’s production design is unique as well. To top it off, this movie is full of shocking plot twists.”
  Try to avoid making statements that can be made without seeing the movie (For example: “the special effects are good,” “the film is action-packed.”) These observations can be made by simply watching the film’s previews.
  Don’t write from someone else’s point of view and don’t lower your standards. For example, don’t write, “Well, for a kids’ movie, it is good” or “‘Transformers’ fans are bound to like this movie.” Readers can see right through your biases and it is better to fully embrace your opinion than to lower your standards or apologize to fans.
  Don’t try to be conversational. You should not write about a movie the way you talk about it with friends. The more formal the writing, the more readers take you seriously.
  You don’t have to like everything. Do not be afraid to give a negative review to a movie that is otherwise universally acclaimed.