We know you love movies. But have you ever dreamt of being a professional critic, spending your days watching films and telling the world what you think of them? We know we have. 

Over the next few weeks, we’re running a competition to find the top amateur film critic on t’interweb and renowned movie buff James King will be giving his two cents on the winning review. James presents ITV2’s The Movie Show, and is a regular face in film documentaries including The 100 Greatest Films.

So just how do you get your hard work into James King’s hands? If you’ve got your own blog, just post a review of your favourite shortlisted film and email us the link. We’ll read every review we receive and whittle them down to a few favourites. Then James will read the winning reviews and give his feedback in an article on the Shorts website, meaning you’ll get your review published right here and a top critic will give you some pointers.

To get you started, James has kindly given us his tips for penning the perfect critique. It’s not all crafty comparisons and alliteration, you know (that counts us out) so take some inspiration and get reviewing.

Break it down

You probably already know what your favourite movie is. But exactly why do you think it’s so good? Answer that and you’re on your way to being a film critic. It’s the reviewer’s job to investigate and examine. How’s the acting? The script? The soundtrack? You’ve seen the end credits to a blockbuster before. Movies are made by hundreds of people, not just one person. Whilst you can’t give a nod to every best boy, gaffer and key grip involved (they’re the lighting and electrics people, by the way), it’s worth remembering that films are made up of many different layers. It’s not just ‘the story’. Break down those layers and you’ll really find something to say.

Don’t be afraid

‘But most people don’t watch films in that way,’ you might argue. Not everyone does, true. But movies aren’t just thrown together. Everything’s in there for a reason, so why ignore the details? Of course, you need to remember your audience – there’s no point discussing the political subtext of a Romanian melodrama if you’re writing for Now! Magazine. Getting the balance right is essential. But as a film critic it’s your job to offer insight and analysis, be it in a casual and chatty way or in a weighty ten thousand word thesis. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion and challenge the status quo. You can save ‘well… it is what it is’ for the pub.

Open your mind

Probably the toughest bit of being a film critic is differentiating between a style of movie that you personally don’t like much and a style of movie that’s actually just plain pants. You’ve got to be objective and open your mind to stuff you might previously have had no inclination to watch. So you might not be a massive fan of Westerns, but you still need to appreciate the difference between one that’s well made and one that’s Cowboys & Aliens. It works the other way around too. Just because you’re a sci-fi fan doesn’t mean that everything with a spaceship in it is brilliant. Yep, I’m talking about Cowboys & Aliens again. As much as possible, your subjectivity needs to go out of the window once the lights dim and the movie starts.

Have fun

But enough of the preaching. We love movies and movies are fun, right? It’s great to interact with a film - to think about it, to study it – and that enjoyment should come across in the review. Cynicism is easy but passion shows way more character (even being passionately cynical). If you really love the ‘magic of movies’ (sorry, that sounds soooo Disney) and the endless possibilities that cinema has to offer, then let’s see that in your review.

Now that you've gleaned some inside tips from critic James King, get reviewing one (or more) of the shortlisted films and send us a link to your blog post by 24th October. We'll read every review we're sent, and even if yours isn't chosen as the winner, we might show it some love on Facebook and Twitter. Good luck!