Book and Film Reviews

Reviews are short descriptions of books, films, plays, TV programmes… They are written to give your
opinion/recommendation about whether (or not) people should read a book or see a film/play…

A review should consist of:

- An INTRODUCTION in which you summarise all the background information of the book/film (i.e. title, name of
author/director, type, setting…)
- A MAIN BODY consisting of two paragraphs: one about the main points of the plot, presented in chronological
order, and another including general comments on the plot, the main characters, the acting, the directing…
Important note: You should not reveal the end of the story to the reader
- A CONCLUSION in which you recommend or do not recommend the book/film/play…, giving reasons to support
your recommendation.

Reviews can be formal or semi-formal, depending on the public it is aimed. You normally use
present tenses and a variety of adjectives to describe the plot and make your comments
more clear and to the point.

Useful Vocabulary

 Background:
The film/book tells the story of… The film is directed by…
The film/story is set in … It is a comedy/horror film/love story
The book/novel was written by…
 Main points of the plot:
The story concerns / is about / begins… The plot has an unexpected twist.
The plot is (rather) boring/thrilling…
 General comments:
It is rather long/boring/confusing/slow… It is beautifully/poorly/badly written.
The cast is excellent/awful/unconvincing… It has a tragic/dramatic end
The script is dull/exciting…
 Recommendations:
Don’t miss it. It is well worth seeing. Wait until it comes out on video/DVD
I wouldn’t recommend it because… It is a highly entertaining read
I highly/thoroughly recommend it It’s a bore to read
It’s bound to be a box-office hit
Read the book review and label each paragraph.

Recommendation – general comments – main points of the plot – background information

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is an excellent story that takes place in London and Dartmoor.
This fascinating book is about the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, who with his trusted assistant, Watson, tries to
solve the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville. 1. …………………….

The mystery begins when Dr. Mortimer, Sir Charles’ personal doctor, relates the circumstances surrounding his patient’s
death to Holmes and Watson. The doctor believes that his death has something to do with the legend of the hound,
which is an enormous, evil, hunting dog that terrorises the people of Baskerville. Soon, it becomes clear that Sir Henry,
who is Sir Charles’ nephew, and the only surviving heir to the Baskerville fortune, is also in danger. 2.
…………………………………….

The book is full of thrilling moments as the author creates tension with unexpected twists and vivid descriptions. What
gives the book its dark atmosphere, however, is the silent, evil presence of the legendary hound which dominates the
story throughout. 3………………………………..

I thoroughly recommend The Hound of the Baskervilles. Readers will have a difficult time putting this masterpiece down
as they are kept in suspense until the very end of the book. 4………………………………..

Underline the correct word/phrase

1. The starring role/character is played by Jack Nicholson.

2. The reader/audience screamed when the murderer appeared.
3. Angela’s Ashes is a well-written/acted book that tells the struggle of a poor Irish family.
4. The plot has an unexpected twist/cast when little John finds out the truth.
5. The story has a dull/tragic end when the helicopter crashes on a mountain.
6. The script/cast of the film includes some of the hottest names in Hollywood
7. The book is based on/set in the incredible life story of Charlie Chaplin
8. The Matrix has the most spectacular special effects/premieres in film history
9. Mad Park is a box office hit/dull read. You’ll fall asleep after the second page.
10. Captain Correlli’s Mandolin plays the part/tells the story of a young Italian soldier who falls in love with a Greek
girl.

Fill in the table below with adjectives from the list:

Dull – excellent – terrible – moving – superb – awful – fantastic – fascinating

Touching – dreadful – thrilling – hilarious – entertaining – amusing
1. Good /interesting: 4. Sad:
2. Exciting: 5. Boring:
3. Funny: 6. Bad:
Example of film review:

Armageddon

Armageddon is an action-packed adventure about an enormous asteroid and the desperate efforts of mankind to stop it
from destroying the world. Directed by Jerry Bruckheimer, the cast includes Bruce Willis as Harry Stamper, an oil rig
owner, Liv Tyler as his daughter, Grace, and Ben Affleck as Stamper’s employee, A.J., who is in love with Grace.

The story begins when NASA discovers that the gigantic asteroid is only eighteen days away from destroying the Earth.
NASA asks Harry to prevent the deadly asteroid from reaching our planet. Harry and his oil rig crew are given intensive
training by NASA astronauts before they travel to space.

The film is filled with suspense as the men race against time to save the planet. The special effects and computer
graphics are so spectacular that the audience will be amazed. The actors give a brilliant performance and the directing is
superb. What is more, the soundtrack, mostly by Aerosmith, is fantastic.

I thoroughly recommend this film. If you like excitement, it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Don’t miss
it!

Book report
Your book report has to be written in an essay form (maximum one page).
Use New Times Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line space and put your name and class in a header.

Introduction:
- Write the title of the book and the author’s name
- Tell in brief (kort) what you know about the author
- Explain what sort of the book it is (fiction, love story, thriller…)

Body:
- Retell the plot in 5-10 sentences
- Write where and when the story is set
- Describe main characters and other characters important to the story (What is he/she like? What does
he/she look like? What makes you to love/hate the character?)
- Tell what is author’s message, or theme(s) he/she wrote about. Give some examples.

Conclusion:
- Describe your reaction on the ending of the story. Would you like to change it somehow?
- List actions that made a big impression on you and explain why.
- Comment on the language: poor /rich descriptions, dialogues, short/long sentences, easy/difficult words,
slang… Was it easy to understand the story?
- List some words from the story you remember the most and explain why you chose them.
- What do you think about the story? (Childish, entertaining, boring, complicated…)
- What do you think about the listening and reading the story at the same time?

The most important in the report is expressing your opinion by giving examples.

“I thought the book was…because…”

“… plays a great role in the book because…”
“I found the book … because…”
Checklist before you hand in your report:
- Paragraphs (stycken) – one paragraph is one idea
- Tenses (tempus och tidsformer): verb-forms (have, has, are, is do, does, did, was, were, write, wrote,
written)
- Nouns (substantiv): the plural-s, woman, women, mouse, mice, knife, knives
- Word order (ordföljd): I always go to school. jfr Jag går alltid till skolan.
- Spelling (stavning)

Hand-in: Wednesday, November 19, week 47.

Grading criteria:
Pass (G)
Your report has an essay form divided into paragraphs; written on maximum one page.
In the introduction you write about the book, the author and genre.
In the main part you retell the story, describe setting, characters and themes.
In the conclusion you express your opinion about the book.

Your report contains simple and relevant details. You make general statements related to the topic, which
support your opinion. Writing is clear and grammatically mainly correct.

Pass with distinction (VG)

Fulfills the G-level.

Your report contains sufficient use of specific and relevant details related to the topic, which support your
opinion. Writing is clear, good and grammatically correct.

Pass with special distinction (MVG)

Fulfills the VG-level.

Your report contains excellent use of specific and relevant details related to the topic, which support your
opinion. Writing is clear, direct, precise, and grammatically correct.