The Hollywood Reporter is well regarded for their reviews. The writer of the "Gone Girl" review, Todd McCarthy, has been a critic for over 30 years and he has the power to stamp a film with its reputation. For "Gone Girl", McCarthy reveals a credible opinion with his strong diction and well executed arrangement.
When describing a movie it cannot be generic. Because each movie is special and specific, it must be described in such fashion. The words chosen to describe the movie must carry the perfect connotation that the critic wishes to give. McCarthy describes "Gone Girl" as "a sharply made, perfectly cast and unfailingly absorbing melodrama". Right away, the reader is given an idea of where the review is headed. It clearly is a positive response, but references no generalities of the movie as a whole. Never describing it in entirety in any light gives McCarthy room to contemplate the negative aspects of the movie as well.
The negative parts of his review never really translate as totally negative. For example, he comments on one part, "in which the images of the actors are often so softly lit that sometimes you can scarcely make out their eyes." Whether or not McCarthy really find this to be a bad thing is up to the reader's discretion, and that is just what he wants. It is his job to communicate what may be good or bad about the movie, but by never committing the low-lit images as something bad, he avoids making vast decisions for every consumer, when he is just one man.
Before even beginning his review, McCarthy provides a trailer for the film and basic information about the cast, director, screenwriter, ect. This opening allows him to speak to an informed audience, without having to provide detailed context when shedding judgement. He also begins by focusing on the fan-base and how he thinks they would react. McCarthy addresses his primary audience by doing so, as the people most concerned with how a movie adaption is done, is those who are fans of the thing being adapted. Continuing, McCarthy reflects on different aspects of the movie, providing brief summary as he goes, and sparking interest as to how the movie will end.
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