Exploring critical reception and thematic trends: A corpus-based analysis of critic reviews for 'While You Were Sleeping'

Authors

  • Le Thanh Thao

    Can Tho University
  • Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh

    Can Tho University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59400/fls.v6i1.2103

Abstract

This study presents a corpus-based analysis of 51 critic reviews of the romantic comedy "While You Were Sleeping", sourced from RottenTomatoes, to explore the linguistic nuances, thematic focuses, and sentiment orientation in film criticism. Employing corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis, the study systematically examines the language and thematic patterns in these reviews, aiming to understand the broader dialogue about cinema and its cultural impact. The analysis reveals several key themes: the balance between charm and credibility, the significance of lead performances, narrative plausibility versus genre conventions, cultural and seasonal context, divergent perspectives on humor and tone, the importance of cinematic style and directorial choices, reflections on the romantic comedy genre, and audience engagement and emotional resonance. These findings highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of film criticism, particularly in the romantic comedy genre, where films are evaluated not just for entertainment but also for narrative structure, character development, and adherence to genre norms. The study underscores the importance of external factors such as cultural context and timing in film reception and emphasizes the impact of lead performances and casting decisions on audience engagement and film perception. It contributes to a deeper understanding of film criticism, extending beyond mere entertainment to encompass cultural, narrative, and stylistic considerations. The insights gained can inform future film productions, critiques, and academic discussions in cinema studies.

Keywords:

“While You Were Sleeping”, a corpus-based analysis, critic reviews, critical reception, thematic trends

References

[1] Bordwell, D. (1991). Making meaning: Inference and rhetoric in the interpretation of cinema. Harvard University Press.

[2] Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Hayfield, N. (2023). Thematic analysis: A reflexive approach. SAGE Publications.

[3] Chen, R., & Liu, Y. (2023). A study on Chinese audience’s receptive behavior towards Chinese and Western cultural hybridity films based on grounded theory—taking Disney’s animated film turning red as an example. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 135. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020135

[4] Dalloz, M., Kovarski, K., Tamazyan, R., & Arnulf, I. (2021). From burlesque to horror: a century of sleepwalking on the silver screen. Sleep Medicine, 85, 172-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.015

[5] Fairclough, N. (2013). Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. Routledge.

[6] Gries, S. T. (2019). On classification trees and random forests in corpus linguistics: Some words of caution and suggestions for improvement. Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory, 16(3), 617-647. https://doi.org/10.1515/cllt-2018-0078

[7] Gruber, R., & Cassoff, J. (2014). The interplay between sleep and emotion regulation: conceptual framework empirical evidence and future directions. Current Psychiatry Reports, 16(11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-014-0500-x

[8] Hefner, V. (2016). Tuning into fantasy: motivations to view wedding television and associated romantic beliefs. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5(4), 307-323. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000079

[9] Hefner, V., & Wilson, B. (2013). From love at first sight to soul mate: the influence of romantic ideals in popular films on young people’s beliefs about relationships. Communication Monographs, 80(2), 150-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2013.776697

[10] Illouz, E. (2023). Consuming the romantic utopia: Love and the cultural contradictions of capitalism. Univ of California Press.

[11] King, G. (2002). Film comedy. Wallflower Press.

[12] Kuhn, A., & Westwell, G. (2012). A dictionary of film studies. Oxford University Press.

[13] Lippman, J., Ward, L., & Seabrook, R. (2014). Isn’t it romantic? differential associations between romantic screen media genres and romantic beliefs. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(3), 128-140. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000034

[14] McDonald, T. J. (2007). Romantic comedy: Boy meets girl meets genre. Columbia University Press.

[15] McEnery, T. (2019). Corpus linguistics. Edinburgh University Press.

[16] McEnery, T., & Hardie, A. (2011). Corpus linguistics: Method, theory and practice. Cambridge University Press.

[17] Mortimer, C. (2010). Romantic comedy. Routledge.

[18] Nartey, M., & Mwinlaaru, I. N. (2019). Towards a decade of synergising corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis: a meta-analysis. Corpora, 14(2), 203-235.

[19] Peng, F., Kang, L., Anwar, S., & Li, X. (2019). Star power and box office revenues: evidence from China. Journal of Cultural Economics, 43(2), 247-278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-018-9338-0

[20] Rodríguez Riva, L. (2022). Popular actors’ comedy: Reception and influence, Italy–Argentina. Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies, 10(2), 349-366. https://doi.org/10.1386/jicms_00131_1

[21] Rollins, P. C. (1983). Hollywood as historian: American film in a cultural context. University Press of Kentucky.

[22] Rosenbaum, J. (2023). Placing movies: The practice of film criticism. Univ of California Press.

[23] Samaie, M., & Malmir, B. (2017). US news media portrayal of Islam and Muslims: a corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(14), 1351-1366. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2017.1281789

[24] Smets, K. (2013). Diasporas and audience studies: A fruitful match? Reflections from a media ethnographic study on Turkish and Moroccan film audiences. The Communication Review, 16(1-2), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2013.757511

[25] Stevens, K. (2020). Romantic comedy and the virtues of predictability. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 18(1), 28-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/17400309.2019.1664059

[26] Thet, T. T., Na, J. C., & Khoo, C. S. (2010). Aspect-based sentiment analysis of movie reviews on discussion boards. Journal of Information Science, 36(6), 823-848. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551510388123

[27] Verboord, M. (2014). The impact of peer-produced criticism on cultural evaluation: A multilevel analysis of discourse employment in online and offline film reviews. New Media & Society, 16(6), 921-940. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813495164

[28] Walker, M. (2009). The role of sleep in cognition and emotion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1156(1), 168-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04416.x

[29] Yaqub, H., Iqbal, M., & Anwar, B. (2019). The Study of Evaluative Features in Hollywood and Lollywood Film Reviews: A Corpus Based Comparative Analysis. Hayatian Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 3(1), 36-63.

[30] Zheltukhina, M. R., Slyshkin, G. G., Gumovskaya, G. N., et al. (2020). Verbal features of film reviews in the modern American media discourse. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 10(3), e202020. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/8386

Issue

Vol. 6 , Iss. 1 (March 2024)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2024 Le Thanh Thao, Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.