Practice Assignment


Film Review Analysis


This quick optional task will help prepare you to write your 4.6 Film Review.  You do not have to hand in this assignment, but it is strongly encouraged.

Step 1:  Choose a film that you are thinking of seeing for fun.  You do not have to watch this film.

Step 2:  Research and find two film reviews written about that film.  Ideally, look for at least one film reviewer who liked the film and one who did not.

Step 3:  Copy and paste the text of both film reviews (all the content they wrote) into a word processing document. Include the URL (the website address) for each review.

Step 4:  Reread each review you chose carefully, highlighting sentences in different colours using the following legend:



Step 5:  Reflect.  Once you have colour-coded each review entirely, step back and consider:

  • Did the reviewer include all of the elements of a film review in some way?

  • Which sections of the review did you find most persuasive?
    • Did their observations seem convincing and valid?
    • Why did you find one review more persuasive than the other?

  • Where did you observe the reviewer trying to engage you as a reader?

  • Identify one or two strategies you will use in writing your own review.