Exercises made from student film reviews

Exercises made from student writing

Review: Starship Troopers (1997)

by Nils

Cloze

Starship Troopers is a film by Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop (1987). The movie is ______ by (but not based on) the classic sci-fi novel of the _____ title by Robert A. Heinlein. In ______ to Heinlein’s original story, which focuses more on military doctrine and the life of an interstellar soldier in between his battles, the movie is ______ around grand battle scenes and as a result is rich in cinematic action.

The film is ____ in a universe where humans unite under a global government to battle the “bugs”, arachnoid aliens with no consciousness that kill for food and conquest. The main character, Johnny Rico ____ the army to follow his gifted girlfriend, a space pilot. Rico scores badly in his exams and is therefore assigned to the Mobile Infantry - which essentially means cannon fodder. On the brink of giving up, a bug attack kills his entire family, invigorating him to give all he’s got to ____ for mankind’s survival.

Phrases

At times
depth and gravitas 
feels somewhat
That said,
All in all
I recommend it
The same goes for

The battle scenes are very well done and music composed by the late Basil Poledouris pulls the viewer right into the atmosphere. However, the film (1)__________ goofy at times. For example, the training scenes are completely unrealistic (I’ve been to boot camp, so I know what it’s about). (2)_____________ much of the dialogue unfortunately. There's also a bit of a fascist undercurrent which the book was more sceptical about. (3)___________ this can be quite disturbing unless you deliberately choose to ignore it.

(4)__________ it's incredibly entertaining thanks to the excellent action sequences.

(5)________, it is a great action movie but it certainly lacks the (6)______________ of the original work. (7)_____________ to anyone in the mood to see some exciting battles against disgusting aliens and cheesy human interactions.

3/5 stars

Shutter Island

By Lisa

Sentence beginnings:

From the look
The film starts with 
This becomes
I was skeptical
All we see is 
As our hero smokes 
What's striking here is

(1)_____________ of the trailer, Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island looked like a horror film… a frightening prison under authoritarian control where isolation rules. A U.S Marshall is sent to an asylum to investigate a missing patient but discovers so much more. A demon? A ghost? Something worse? (2)___________ walking into the theater, wondering if any of this would hold water.

(3)______________ Teddy Daniels and his new partner Chuck, standing on a ferry. (4)______________ that there is no lead up. We are bam, smack into the story without so much as an opening montage. (5)____________ the two men smoking a couple cigarettes and chatting about their assignment. (6)____________ a momentous development however. (7)_______________ -we sense that he isn't the smooth and sophisticated gangster we might expect. This is a harsher more pathetic figure with poor posture. Someone who doesn't sleep well, someone with an untypical backstory…

"Soon" or "but not before"?

The men are greeted at the gate by guards whose attitudes seem immediately suspect. Soon / But not before we meet Dr Crawley, a seemingly complex, liberal and modern man who runs the asylum. However, he soon / but not before becomes uncooperative with the investigation. Both inmates and staff appear to be hiding something, but what? Evidence and clues begin to appear soon / but not before our hero seems to become riddled by psychosis himself. "You act like all this madness is contagious." Daniels says to the guard. Is it? Soon / But not before we begin to wonder, too, soon / but not before he uncovers the tip of an ugly, painfully intimate iceberg that merges his own troubled past but with a mass conspiracy.

The acting is superb. Kingsley is in his finest role in years. Similarly, DiCaprio reaches new levels. Elias Koteas, Ted Levine and Michelle Williams play small but wonderful roles. Cinematographer Robert Richardson captures a world all of its own.

I'd say
Yes, 
Despite
Nor does
It’s certainly

While Scorsese is a master, (1)_______ that his strength is this film has more to do with character than screenplay. (2)________ a fresh balance of both - a mix of noir and thriller. (3)_______ it could be compared with The Shining but this wouldn’t do it justice. It’s no one trick pony.

All this praise aside it's not for everyone. The story is convoluted and demands some attention. And at times it's all a bit too bleak and dire. (4)_______ it all make sense when you actually think about it. But then again that's show biz. (5)______ the plot having a few too many turns and folds - to the point of losing you – don’t lose faith: the story has you right where it wants you.

3 Stars

Donnie Brasco

By David

Join the sentence halves:

1. Donnie Brasco is a gangster movie

2. It is based on a true story about the FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp)

3. Under the name Donnie Brasco, Pistone befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino)

4. As Pistone gets more involved in the mafia business he collects evidence



A) but gets deeply tangled up with the criminal lifestyle and hardly ever sees his family.

B) and is able to embed himself in a mafia faction led by Sonny Black.

C) who infiltrates the New York mafia.

D) directed by Mike Newell from 1997.


Punctuate

what really stands out however is the acting from johnny depp and al pacino who both do a magnificent job at portraying their characters the relationship dynamics between joe and lefty come off superbly depp makes you feel for joe as he begins to lose himself and forget which side he is actually on most of the mobsters in the movie are the usual stereotypes but pacinos lefty is special a tragic middleman he takes risks and does the dirty work but always gets overlooked and is never really rewarded properly all this differs markedly from pacino’s former roles and yet he carries it off with ease this is a true story but it still basically goes where we expect mob films to go plus it manages to rise above the clichés through strong characters and compelling emotional themes a solid classic.

4/5 stars.

Thor: Ragnarok

By Iris

Break into 5 paragraphs

Thor: Ragnarok, the latest release of Marvel Studios, is the sequel to 2011´s Thor and 2013's Thor: The Dark World, all adapted from the well-known Marvel Comic series. This latest Thor movie is directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilder People, Boy) and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Thor, played by the hunky Chris Hemsworth, has to save Asgard from the Ragnarok. Along with his companions Hulk, Loki and newly introduced characters he must defeat his sister Hela to save the Nine Worlds and the creatures living in them. Thor: Ragnarok, is said to be the best out of the Thor trilogy, due to its cast, action scenes, music and humor. One reason this film went down so especially well may be because of its further development between the dramatic action and the music. Marvel Studios has been justly criticized for neglecting to have catchy tunes in their previous films. With this movie, however, Marvel has redeemed itself. Theme music and background music both create the perfect atmosphere and put the viewer in the right mood and keep them there. This is especially true in action sequences like the one where Thor gets his super boost and becomes the God of Thunder; here the music matches and intensifies the action perfectly. Technically the film is a tour de force. The camera movement and the special effects fit together seamlessly and create enormous tension. Acting wise, on the other hand, you could say Thor: Ragnarok is about average quality, even though some scenes are acted in an ingenious way. At times the tension gets let down by a bad pun, which doesn’t go down well with action movie lovers. And fans hoping for a romantic dimension won´t be pleased because the flimsy relationship between Jane and Thor has ended. And most disappointingly,  the story doesn´t leave any room for interpretation. Except for some new characters and a different setting, it follows the set formula of Marvel movies and breaks no new ground. Having said that, if you are a true Marvel Comic or Thor fan, you are very likely to enjoy this movie. It is an easy and entertaining experience that holds your attention through many great one-liners. Plus the action scenes are never boring or predictable, and that’s what we want from a Marvel movie after all. Worth spending two and a half hours inside on a sunny day for.

3.5 stars

Breaking Bad

By Benjamin

Break into 4 paragraphs:

Breaking Bad is a series directed by Vince Gilligan, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. It tells the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher struggling to make ends meet. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer Walter tries to acquire money to leave for his family through criminal means. The series is very much on the dark side and contains some of the blackest comedy in American TV history. What stands out in this crime drama is the acting of the protagonist Bryan Cranston. You could even say that Cranston is Breaking Bad. This initially unassuming, apparently virtuous chemistry teacher gets increasingly entangled in the criminal underworld where he becomes a ruthless meth producer. Cranston portrays this horrific transformation convincingly and shockingly. There isn’t a side of human nature that he isn’t able to portray in rendering the schizophrenic Walter, known in the underworld as “Heisenberg”. The series addresses many problems in American society, one of which is the failed health system which doesn’t seem to be improving under President Donald Trump. Poor people who don’t have the money for health aren’t supported by the government. In these circumstances, is it any wonder that so many descend into crime when the only alternative is sickness and death? Breaking Bad is a fantastic series for our times, and under the current president of the US, the series seems to be more true than ever. The story is captivating, the acting is first-rate and the series conveys contemporary issues powerfully.

Rating: 4/5

JOY

By Mare     

Word form

After    HEAR   that accliamed director David O. Russel would once again be working with his oscar-winning pair, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, everybody knew the bar for this film was set high. In this     AUTOBIOGRAPHY    drama set in the 90s we follow Joy, a single mother   STRUGGLE    to cope. She lives in working-class New York with her two children, her mother, grandmother and her ex-husband. One day Joy comes up with the idea of a self-wringing mop and so she sets out to make this idea reality.

The film is set in 1990 and every single set and choice of clothing is perfect to the T. You get a strong sense of what life was like back then, although I can imagine that a large part of the audience doesn’t need a film to do that.

Lawrence and Coopers’ amazing   CHEMIST    together is incredible to see. Both actors    PORTRAIT    their characters to the fullest. Joy faces a number of struggles along the way which makes you      SYMPATHY     with her throughout the film. A mention of Robert DeNiro,   STUN     as usual, can’t be left out.

Joy is a feel-good film, but fortunately not in the   CHEESE   way. Joy’s   STRONG    through her struggles makes you feel as if you can fight the world too.  There are hints of feminism as we see   ABUSE    relationships, poverty, and several other factors hold Joy back. Of course, you can’t deal with every single issue on the planet in one film, but there could have been a bit more   ATTEND     paid to them.

As a whole it was a well acted,   TRUTH    and inspiring film and I would recommend it. Not groundbreaking, but it certainly can’t be   DENY    that it will make you feel joy.

3.3 Stars

Black Mirror: Nosedive

by Carlotta

Cloze: 

Black Mirror is a science fiction anthology series created by Charlie Brooker. ____ episode examines a different problem in our society by placing it in a near feature or an alternative present. By exaggerating the problems, the directors show the viewers ___ the world could be if we’d continue living our lives as we do ___. For example, series three episode one, Nosedive (2016) is set in a pastel coloured world ____ people constantly rate each after they interact. You can get between one and five stars, the higher the rating the ____. People with a high rating are admitted ___ the upper echelon of society, but if you have a low rating, well too bad. The episode tells the story about Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard) ___ is invited to be the maid of honour of her old school friend Naomi (Alice Eve). But the journey to the wedding doesn’t go ___ planned.