2e A portrait of an artist

Writing a review
1 Who is your favourite performer or artist? Tell your partner about this
person and why you like him/her.

2 Read the review of Baz Luhrmann’s work. What kind of information about
Luhrmann is included? Choose the correct options (a–d).

a his influences
b his plans for the future
c his private life
d his work

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3 Read the review again. Underline the information which is factual and circle
the opinions. Then find two direct quotes from Luhrmann.

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4 Which sentence (a–d) best describes the review? Explain your choice(s).

a It summarizes several different opinions.

b It only talks about negative things.
c It only talks about positive things.
d It’s a personal point of view.

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Baz Luhrmann is a film director whose films include Strictly Ballroom,
Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and Australia.
I have seen every one of his films and in my opinion, Luhrmann’s work just gets better and
better. He says that ‘putting on a show’ has always come naturally to him and that
Bollywood is his biggest influence. Although he is best-known as a film director, Luhrmann
has also directed opera. Consequently, his films are usually exciting, energetic and
spectacular. They have had box office success despite being unusual: in Romeo + Juliet the
actors speak in verse, in Moulin Rouge! they sing their lines. On the other hand, the epic
Australia wasn’t so popular with the critics. Nevertheless, as an ordinary film fan, I thought
it was absolutely fantastic. Luhrmann says the high point of his career has been ‘achieving
so many of the dreams I had as a kid – from going to the Oscars to getting a letter from
Marlon Brando’. To me, his films have the power of dreams. They take you into thrilling,
unforgettable worlds.
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5 Writing skill linking ideas (1)
a Look at the table. Which group of words can replace each highlighted word
in the review? Write the words from the review in the table.

b Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1 Although / Despite his name is Mark, everyone calls him Baz.
2 Although / Despite working mainly in Australia, he has had international
success with his films.

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c Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets. Make any changes to
verbs and punctuation as necessary.
1 They have had box office success despite being unusual films. (even
though)
2 I enjoyed Romeo + Juliet in spite of not understanding all the dialogue.
(but)
3 While I love epic films, I didn’t enjoy this one. (Nevertheless)
4 Although they praised Luhrmann’s earlier films, the critics did not like
Australia. (In spite of)
5 I’ve seen all of the films, but I haven’t seen any of the operas. (However)
6 His last film was absolutely brilliant. Because of this, I’m looking forward
to seeing the next one. (so)

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 Answer Key
c Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets. Make any changes to
verbs and punctuation as necessary.

1 They have had box office success even though they are unusual films.
2 I enjoyed Romeo + Juliet but I didn’t understand all the dialogue.
3 I love epic films. Nevertheless, I didn’t enjoy this one.
4 In spite of praising Luhrmann’s earlier films, the critics did not like
Australia.
5 I’ve seen all of the films. However, I haven’t seen any of the operas.
6 His last film was absolutely brilliant, so I’m looking forward to
seeing the next one.
6 Write a review of an artist whose work you know and enjoy. First, look at the
headings and make notes. You may need to do some research first. Then
write about 150 words. Use a variety of adjectives and linkers.

7 Use these questions to check your review.

• Have you used linkers correctly?
• Have you expressed clearly why you like this artist’s work?

8 Read some reviews your classmates have written. Use these questions to
check your classmates’ reviews.
• What do you learn about the subject from reading the review?
• Do you agree with the opinions expressed in the review?

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