Film and book reviews ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 29

Film and book reviews

	Note the collocations in these reviews of the same film from different publications. Quality newspaper LARISSA Larissa is an excellent ­ lm. It tells the story of what happens when a young woman decides to try to ­ find out what really happened to her grandmother, who disappeared in Russia in the 1930s under mysterious circumstances. As the suspense builds up, Larissa sets off an amazing chain of events. It’s an incredibly gripping ­ lm and its direction shows startling originality. Movie review app It was certainly a bold experiment1 to cast Jenni Adams as a woman twice her age, but Jenni is a very accomplished actor and a consummate professional2, and she carried it off brilliantly. And the rest of the star-studded cast gave a dazzling display of their talents too. The film, which documents an extraordinary series of events, was spectacularly successful in the US – The New York Times gave it glowing reviews3, and not without good reason 1 a brave and risky thing to do 2 (formal) complete professional 3 very positive reviews
	Popular (tabloid) newspaper Whoever decided to cast Jenni Adams in the role of the disappearing grandma in Larissa must have been out of their mind. An unmitigated disaster4, strongly influenced5 by the very worst kind of Hollywood sentimentality. The only good thing was the theme music. The cinema next door was showing Screech of the Vampire – now that I would highly recommend6 … if you can bear the suspense7! 4 total disaster 5 or heavily influenced, but NOT highly influenced 6 thoroughly recommend is also possible 7 can stand the excitement
	Entertainment magazine Larissa óóóóó STARRING Jenni Adams DIRECTED BY Joel Hanson I usually think highly of Joel Hanson’s films but this one, based on a novel by Slevan Gorsky, is a dismal failure. In spite of the all-star cast, the film just didn’t hold my attention the way the book did. I was a college student when I read it, but it made a lasting impression8 on me. It fired my imagination more than any other book has ever done, and awakened my interest in Russia in the 1930s so much that my poor old bookshelves are groaning with books on Russian history! The film, however, simply failed to create9 the atmosphere of Leningrad in the 1930s which the book achieved so successfully. 8 we can also say an indelible impression, meaning a permanent one 9 also evoke the atmosphere Common mistakes Someone can have a considerable reputation or a well-deserved reputation, but NOT a high reputation.

EXERCISES

29.1	Complete the review using words from the opposite page. The first letter is given to help you. ••• <  > 1,000 NIGHTS NOW PLAYING The recently released film 1,000 Nights does not have a (1) s___________ cast but it will not fail to make a (2) l___________  impression with its startling (3) o___________  and its dazzling (4) d___________  of new talent. Jon Hayden is cast in the (5) r___________  of Tim Alexon, a man of principles trying to make his way in the world of big business. It is Hayden’s first appearance on the big screen, but he shows himself as an exceptionally (6) a___________  actor playing the little man caught up in an intriguing and at times terrifying (7) s___________  of events. The use of unknown actors was a bold (8) e___________  but it turned out to be (9) s___________  successful. 1,000 Nights will (10) f___________  the imagination of even the most cynical of viewers.
29.2	Cross out the option which cannot be used in each sentence. 1 Alla Repina has a high / considerable / well-deserved reputation as a character actor. 2 The all-star / star-studded / starring cast is set to make the film a box-off ice success. 3 My cousin highly / spectacularly / thoroughly recommended the play. 4 The plot is based on an extraordinary series / burst / chain of events that happened in New York in the early 1800s. 5 The stage sets were obviously strongly / highly / heavily influenced by the work of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. 6 The film made a(n) consummate / lasting / indelible impression on me. 7 The author evoked / created / wrote a magical atmosphere.
29.3	Complete each sentence using a word from the opposite page. 1 I admire that producer because he is such a consummate____________________. 2 We all began to feel increasingly nervous as the suspense built ____________________. 3 All that writer’s books have received glowing ____________________. 4 The central character’s actions set off an amazing chain of ____________________. 5 To my mind the play is an unmitigated ____________________. 6 Making a film lasting six hours was quite a bold ____________________. 7 I’m afraid the novel didn’t really succeed in holding my ____________________. 8 I couldn’t watch the film at the most exciting point – I just couldn’t bear the ____________________.
29.4	Name the following: 1 an actor whose work you admire 2 a film director whom you think highly of 3 a film that has recently been spectacularly successful 4 a book that has awakened your interest in a different place or period of history
29.5	Two of the collocations on the opposite page are strongly negative ways of saying that something did not succeed. Which are they? Over to you Go to www.imdb.com (The Internet Movie Database) and read some of the items and reviews there. Make a note of any useful collocations not in this unit.

ANSWER KEY

29.1 1 star-studded 2 lasting 3 originality 4 display 5 role 6 accomplished 7 series 8 experiment 9 spectacularly 10 fire 29.2 The options that are NOT possible are: 1 high 2 starring 3 spectacularly 4 burst 5 highly 6 consummate 7 wrote 29.3 1 professional 2 up 3 reviews 4 events 5 disaster 6 experiment 7 attention 8 suspense 29.5 an unmitigated disaster a dismal failure