How many questions should a writer ask in writing a review? Let me start with one or two questions.

I received in the post, that most neglected form of delivery these days, a postcard addressed to me advertising a movie coming up. I knew of the people who sent it and thought warmly about them. So warmly in fact that I imagined them asking me to review the movie, since they might have known that I am a reviewer.

I wanted to know what the movie would be about. That’s my first question. Normally, the second question would be is it any good? And the third, what’s in it, the content in other words.

For any review, a review need to only ask three questions — what is it about, what’s in it, and is it any good, and the audience will dictate where the stress is put. Does the audience want the content question over the critique question, for example. To satisfy one audience, a brief, honest comment about the quality of the film that’s appropriate to the audience is enough, but they want more on what’s in it.

Quite literally, then, three questions can be asked in any review.