Commentary guide for films - part 1

This is a very general and wide template, created with romantic comedies in mind.

1 The characters.
The hero (Male or female). Who is s/he? What are his/her objectives?
Physical characteristics: What physical characteristics are very important for the story?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does this character “feel real”? Why or why not?

The heroine. Does she have any desires and interests? Which ones?
Physical characteristics. What physical characteristics are very important for the story?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does the character “feel real”? Why or why not?

For love stories:
Can you imagine the hero and the love interest together?
Do they have a positive relationship? yes, no, why?
Are the couple more interesting when they are apart, or when they are together?

The villain. Who is the villain? Why?
Personality traits, positive and negative.
Does the character “feel real”?

The antagonist. Is there one? What does s/he want?
Characteristics.

Is any character an antihero? Yes? No? Who? Why?

Hero's allies vs. villain allies.
How many are there? How much power do they have? How do they help the hero and the villain?

2 The Plot.
Make a brief plot summary.

3 Time.
How fast does time pass? How long does the events in the film take?
Is the film's rhythm “fast” or “slow”? Does it affect our enjoyment?
Does the film have a constant “pace”? Are some sections faster or slower than others? Which ones?
Comment the general structure of the film: which are the climactic acts and when do they take place?


4 Space.
Where does the action take place?
How does the location affect the events or the characters? (city vs. country, houses vs. the open air, etc)

5 The visual aspect.
Describe the use of the light and the décor in the film.
How does it affect the way we see the film?

6 Language.
How do the characters speak? (formally, informally, a lot, too little.....)
Mention some specific examples of language in the film that you find interesting and expressive (words or complete lines of dialogue). Justify your answer.