Week Four -Synopsis

 I have been looking at film synopses to gain ideas for the group synopsis. Here is an example of one of a synopsis i found:

The Departed

Rookie cop Billy Costigan [Leonardo DiCaprio] grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello [Jack Nicholson]. It’s his job to win Costello’s trust and help his detective handlers [Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen] bring Costello down. Meanwhile, SU officer Colin Sullivan [Matt Damon] has everyone’s trust. No one suspects he’s Costello’s mole. How these convert lives cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs, guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral talk of crime and consequences. This is searing, can’t-look-away filmmaking: like into the eyes of a con – or a cop – with a gun.

   I liked this synopsis as it was very concise and to the point. The opening line grabs the readers attention and this is an aspect i'd like to put into our synopsis as i believe it is very effective. I also liked the way it ends with a gripping sentence which leaves the reader with that thought in their heads. This is something we will try to do in our synopsis.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Academy award winner Matt Damon is trained assassin Jason Bourne. Having lost his memory and the one he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets from a new generation of highly-trained killers, tracking his every move and who will stop at nothing to prevent him from learning his true identity. The Bourne Ultimatum unfolds with heart-stopping action, death-defying stunts and white-knuckle excitement in the film critics are calling “The best action picture in decades”. –Maxim

   This synopsis is similar but also slightly different. It has a powerful opening describing on the actors as an "award winner" which also grabs the readers attention. Although it is eye-catching, i don't think we will use this approach to attention seeking in our synopsis. On the other hand, i did like the use if quotes from magazines/news papers  ""The best action picture in decades". -Maxim". This shows that not only the creators have enjoyed the film, but also the reviewers. This makes the synopsis seem less biased.

Minority Report

Superstar Tom Cruise is “at his charismatic best” (Sunday Mirror) in director Steven Spielberg’s “terrific race against time thriller” (Radio Times).

For six years, Washington D.C. has been murder-free thanks to astounding technology which identifies killers before they commit their crimes. But when the chief of the Precrime Unit (Cruise) is himself accused of a future murder, he has just 36 hours to discover who set him up – or he’ll fall victim to the “perfect” system he helped create. It’s a mind-blowing action thriller that is “fascinating and utterly absorbing… a triumph not to be missed.” ***** (News of the World)

   I also like the opening of this synopsis as it has another powerful opening which attracts attention. This seems to be the running theme with a synopsis and therefore, we will incorporate this into our synopsis.
   What i don't like about this synopsis is that it uses too many quotes (4). I believe this is excessive and will try to avoid this as i do not believe it looks good.

This is the synopsis we created for our film:

   A kidnapping in London throws Detective Lewis Court into an intense game of hide and seek as the police attempt to uncover the location of the victim. The kidnapper referring to himself only as ‘9’ gives the police clues to the whereabouts of his victim but is she still alive? 9 is convinced he and Detective Lewis Court are connected by fate and sends videos of the victim to ensure he continues playing his game. The Detective is on the biggest case of his life that will either make or break him professionally, metally and physcally.