Transcript Inform, Explain, Describe. Write an email to a friend

Year 7
Mid-Year
Writing Assessment
Writing a Film Review
Inform / Explain / Describe
Analyse /Review / Comment
Your Task.
Write an email to a friend
explaining and describing a good
film you saw on TV last night.
SUCCESS CRITERIA:
 TOPIC SENTENCES: The characters are wonderful.
 DISCURSIVE MARKERS: Firstly, Overall etc.
 CLEAR PARAGRAPHS:
 AT LEAST FIVE ADJECTIVES:
 CLEAR, PUNCTUATED SENTENCES:
 INFORMAL TONE:
Review of Tangled…
Activity 1. Read the review below and identify what makes it a good review…
With a spring in its step and a song in its heart, Tangled is undoubtedly one of Disney's most
uproariously enjoyable movies in years. The visuals may not be ground-breaking and the storyline
hardly surprising, but the Mouse House's 50th animated feature deserves to be remembered as one of
its best. It's that rare film bound to delight both children and adults.
Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is a princess stolen from her palace as a baby and raised in a
tower by the evil Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who uses the girl's magical locks to keep her young.
But while Rapunzel grows into a young woman, she dreams of leaving her prison. Her opportunity
arises with the arrival of a thief called Flynn (Zachary Levi) who climbs the tower looking for a place
to hide. Together, they venture out into the forest beyond in search of adventure.
It might have been 74 years since Disney gave us Snow White, but the powers that be have decided to
stick to the formula. The use of a non-starry voice cast means the dialogue never distracts from the
Action, there are a couple of cute non-human sidekicks (including Flynn's steed who thinks he's a
bloodhound), some enjoyable singalongs plus, of course, a heart-swellingly happy ending.
Yet if the brew feels occasionally familiar it doesn't matter with a story this engaging and characters
that, however recognisable, have been tweaked for modern audiences. Rapunzel is a feisty heroine who,
on first meeting Flynn, greets him with a frying pan while Gothel is an ambiguous and therefore
interesting villainess.
The only serious drawback is the 3D which not only fails to add to the experience but dulls the palate.
This is one good-looking movie which is best experienced without a pair of flimsy, tinted spectacles
on your nose.
Activity 2:
What language/aspects of this review tells us that it’s more suited to a newspaper than
the type of review you’d send to a friend?
PLAN what you're
going to write in
your paragraphs.
Suggestions:
1) Paragraph 01 - write something general and interesting about the film;
not just its name but ….the director, the genre, the stars and any prizes it
won, why it’s of interest/topical.
2) Paragraph 02 - The plot.
3) Paragraph 03 - where and when it was set.
4) Paragraph 04 – The characters; why they’re interesting.
5) Paragraph 05 – Your favourite bit/stand out moment that has to be seen!
6) Paragraph 06 - Why you recommend this film overall and what message
you learned from it.
Useful Language:
It was directed / written by...
It is set in...
It is based on the book...
It's about...
It stars...
My favourite scene is...
The character ____ is fascinating because…
The story reminds me of…
Vocabulary:
audience - cast - director –
extra - plot - scene - script - sequel soundtrack - special effects - star - subtitles
...
My Favourite Film
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE FILM
POLICE ACADEMY 7. IT’S GOOD
CAUSE IT’S FUNNY AND THERES
FUNNY
CHARACTERS
IN
IT.
THERE’S ONE GUY WHO MAKES
FUNNY FACES, HE’S FUNNY.
LEVEL ? 3!!!
My Favourite Film
TO; [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
JUST THOUGHT I’D SEND YOU A MESSAGE TO TELL YOU ABOUT
THIS GREAT FILM I SAW LAST NIGHT. IT WAS CALLED POLICE ACADEMY;
DIRECTED BY BARRY LEVINSON. IT WAS AN ACTION COMEDY FULL OF
GREAT HUMOUR AND PERFORMANCES FROM THE CAST. IT STARS STEVE
GUTTENBERG AND FOLLOWS A GROUP OF YOUNG TRAINEE POLICE OFFICERS
TRYING TO EARN THEIR STRIPES.
FIRSTLY,
THE
PLOT
REVOLVES
AROUND
A
RUSSIAN
GANG
OF
THIEVES WHO PLAN TO STEAL A PRICELESS DIAMOND FROM A MUSEUM.
THIS GANG ARE RUTHLESS AND WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO GET WHAT
THEY WANT BUT THE POLICE SQUAD ARE UP TO THE TASK AND THEY
EVENTUALLY, AFTER A LOT OF MISHAPS AND SLAPSTICK HUMOUR, GET
THEIR MEN.
SECONDLY, THE FILM IS SET ON THE EAST COAST OF AMERICA;
CALIFORNIA. IT IS AN OLD FILM; RELEASED IN 1992 WHEN THIS KIND
OF HUMOUR WAS VERY POPULAR. THERE ARE SOME CLIPS ON YOUTUBE;
YOU SHOULD CHECK THEM OUT, THEY’RE HILARIOUS!!
FINALLY,
IT’S
REALLY
RECOMMENDABLE
BECAUSE
OF
THE
CHARACTERS; THEY’RE ALL SO DIFFERENT … TALL, SMALL, THIN, FAT,
STRONG, WEAK. IT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO FUNNY. YOU’D NEVER EXPECT
THEM TO WORK WELL TOGETHER AND GENERALLY THEY DON’T, BUT THEY
ALWAYS GET RESULTS.
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT.
REGARDS,
JOHN
LEVEL ? 5!!!