Написание рецензии. Упражнения по написании рецензии.

Exercise 1.
Read the film review.
«Must – have» DVDs: Cinema Paradiso: 1989
Cinema Paradiso was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It stars Philippe Noiret as Alfredo, and Salvatore Cascio, who plays the part of the boy. The film won an Oscar in 1989 for Best Foreign Language film.
The film is set in an Italian village in the 1940s and 50s. It was filmed on location in Sicily.
The film is about a little boy called Salvatore who ends up becoming a famous film director. At the beginning of the film, he goes back to his village for the first time in thirty years, for the funeral of an old friend, Alfredo. The rest of the film is a «flashback» about his childhood. In his village there is only one cinema, called Cinema Paradiso. Salvatore is crazy about films so he spends all his time there. He becomes friends with Alfredo, the man who shows the films and later he works as his assistant. But when he is a teenager he leaves the village and goes to work in Rome, and in the end he becomes a famous director. He never sees Alfredo again.
I strongly recommend Cinema Paradiso. It makes you laugh and cry, it has a memorable soundtrack, and it is a moving tribute to the magic of the early days of cinema.


Write a film review about a film you would recommend people to buy on DVD.
Plan what you`re going to write in the four paragraphs:
Paragraph 1 – The name of the film, the director, the stars, and any prizes it won.
Paragraph 2 – Where and when it was set.
Paragraph 3 – The plot.
Paragraph 4 – Why you recommend this film.
Check the review for mistakes (grammar, punctuation and spelling).
Exercise 2.
Read the film review.
One of my favourite films is one of the Star Wars series. I`ve got the video. It`s an exciting science fiction film and it`s called The Phantom Menace. It`s the first part of a trilogy about a boy called Anakin Skywalker.
In this film Anakin is nine years old and he lives with his mother on planet Tatsin. Strange-looking creatures rule this planet and Anakin and all the other human beings are slaves. Anakin`s dream is to become one of the Jedi knights, the brave guardians of the galaxy, and free his people. One day two Jedi knights land on Tatsin and Anakin thinks his dream might finally come true.
I enjoy watching this film because it`s never boring. The story is full of surprises and suspense. And the action never stops. There are spaceship races, battles with robots and really exciting fight scenes with the Jedi knights. I like those the best. Also, the space scenes and the different creatures on the planets are amazing and they look so real.
You must go to see this film or get the video. You may not like science fiction but this film is special. The story is exciting and the scenery and acting are brilliant. And it`s not just a film for children. All the family should see it. I can`t wait to see the next two films in the trilogy!


Write a review of your favourite film.
Plan what you`re going to write in the four paragraphs:
Paragraph 1 – Introduce the story. (Type of film, some background information)
Paragraph 2 – Write the story (Use the Present Simple)
Paragraph 3 – Give your opinion. (The actors/the acting, the story, sound track/ special effects)
Paragraph 4 – Reach a conclusion. (Do you recommend the film? Who should go to see it?)
Check the review for mistakes (grammar, punctuation and spelling).
Exercise 3.
Read this film review and answer the questions: What type of film is being described? What characters are mentioned? What tenses are used? What recommendation does the critic make?
Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride, directed by Charles Sayer, is a modern remake of the 1950`s film starring Spencer Tracy. This time, the role of doing father is played by Steve Martin, and Diane Keaton plays his long-suffering wife.
The story begins with Martin`s daughter announcing her imminent marriage. Reluctant to see his beloved daughter leave the family nest, he feels more like he`s losing a daughter than gaining a son-in-law.
As preparations for the big day get started, there follows a chain of comic events, helped along by the delightful Martin Short, superb as the wedding organizer for the occasion.
Steve Martin gives just as admirable a performance as Tracy did in the original film, and brings his own unique brand of humour to the part.
Father of the Bride is essentially a funny enjoyable film, suitable for old and young alike. For those of you who like a good chuckle, it`s well worth going to see.

Write a review, in 120-180 words, of a film / book you have recently seen / read.
Plan what you`re going to write in the four paragraphs:
Paragraph 1 – Background (setting, type of story, main characters)
Paragraph 2 – Main points of the plot
Paragraph 3 – General comments
Paragraph 4 – Recommendation
Check the review for mistakes (grammar, punctuation and spelling).
Exercise 4. Look at these films, which are all about sports. Tell your partner anything you know about them. Do you know any other sports films?

Read the review about the film Coach Carter and answer the questions.
Who is the main actor in the film?
What happens in the film? Do not write more than three sentences.
What did the writer like most about the film?
Who would the writer recommend the film to?
«Coach Carter» is an American film that was released in 2005. It starts Samuel L. Jackson as the main character. It is a drama about basketball players at an American High School.
The plot is really interesting. A new basketball coach arrives at the high school. The team of students that he works with is not very good. There isn`t much discipline in the team and so they usually lose. But Carter changes all this. He`s very strict but the students start to respect him and win matches. However, Coach Carter has one important rule – if the students don`t get good marks at school, they can`t play basketball for the team. Carter finds out that some students never do their homework and fail all their exams. So he stops the team. Parents, teachers and students are all against him, but he doesn`t give in. In the end, he wins. The players study harder and the team wins the cup. It`s the typical happy ending!
I really liked the acting and the screenplay in this film. Samuel L. Jackson, who was in Pulp Fiction, plays the role of Carter brilliantly. There are no special effects and the soundtrack, which is basically hip-hop and soul, is nothing special. But the relationship between the teenagers and coach is very emotional, especially when you know that it`s a true story.
To sum up, if you are a basketball fan, you`ll love this film. If you aren`t interested in basketball, you won`t enjoy the match scenes. But I would still recommend you to see it because the message of the film is very inspiring.



Exercise 5.
Match the paragraphs with the descriptions of their content.
Paragraph 1 a recommendation to see the film
Paragraph 2 a summary of the story
Paragraph 3 basic information about the film
Paragraph 4 the writer`s opinion of the film
Exercise 6
Look at the review again and answer the questions.
What tense does the writer use to summarize the plot?
Does the writer mix tenses to write the summary of the plot?
Is the text only a summary of the plot?
Does the writer give reasons and examples for his/her opinions?
Exercise 7
Write a review of your favourite film or a film you have seen recently. Use the paragraph plan to organize your ideas.
When you write a review of a book or film, in which order would you put the paragraphs (a-c)?
Give your overall recommendation to other people
Give your opinion, including positive and negative points
Give some information on what the book/film is about and why you chose it
Exercise 8
Read the review below and check your ideas.