Describe your Favorite Movie or Film IELTS Cue Card

Describe your Favorite Movie or Film IELTS Cue Card Topic

You should say

• what it is
• when you watched it
• what it is about

and explain why this is your favorite movie.

Note: You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

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Sample Answer 1:

Describe a film you would like to recommend to a friend

There are movies which we watch and then forget about them completely after a few days, if not any sooner. Then, there are movies like “Forrest Gump”, which we never exactly get tired of watching again and again because they make us think and experience our lives in some new light.

A simple-minded (some would say with “low IQ”), but kind-hearted, Alabama boy, named “Forrest Gump” grows up with his best friend – a beautiful girl called Jenny. His supportive mother teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny.

Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends, winning medals, starting a multi-million dollar shrimp fishing business, writing bumper stickers and songs, donating to people, meeting the president several times and doing many other things. However, this all becomes irrelevant to Forrest because he can’t seem to save his childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran, who has messed up her life.

The underlying theme of the movie is that it advises a person to run from all the negative thoughts, influences and bullies of life as fast as he can, no matter how others around him try to “degrade” him physically and intellectually.

Why do I like the movie so much? Well, I like this movie primarily because it teaches us to find out on our own what exactly life is all about instead of paying attention to what others say about it. Besides, I like this movie also because it asks us to show “respect” to people, who seem rather “simplistic” in their thoughts and actions, because they also have their own dreams, and that they also chase their dreams very successfully in life. Finally, I like this movie also because of some of its “simple yet powerful” dialogues (ie. “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.”), which are really difficult to forget.

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Sample Answer 2:

Your Favourite Movie IELTS Speaking Cue Card

Well, there are a variety of movies and TV shows that are broadcast on Television through many channels. Some shows or films are funny which makes you laugh but some are other types of shows or movies such as motivational and educational. But here I would like to talk about a film named “Phir Hera Pheri ” which made me laugh a lot.

Even though it was released in 2002, last Sunday I got a chance to watch this movie on television. Actually last Sunday, neither my internet connection was working nor did I have any important things to do. So, out of boredom, I decided to watch this movie on television with my family.

Coming to the movie, it has 3 main characters namely Raju, Shyam, and babu bhaiya. They all were already rich but wanted to become more reach so they invested 50 crore rupees in a company called Anuradha chit fund. That investment company claimed to double their investment in 21 days. But, after 21 days when they went to their office, there was no such company available and they realized that they have become a victim of fraud. The story revolves around these three, who, because of the greed of doubling their money get trapped and land in serious trouble.

Apart from this, it is an epic with numerous rib-tickling moments that make one laugh until his sides aches. Moreover, the comic timing and dialogue delivery both are astounding and outstanding. The climax of this movie is hilarious and I vividly remember we all had a belly laugh after watching it. Watching this movie with my family gives me immense pleasure and it rejuvenates me.

It is the best comedy movie of Bollywood till date. I think everyone should watch it once.

Also Check: Describe a situation when you were bored – IELTS Cue Card

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Sample Answer 3:

IELTS Speaking Cue Card Favourite Movie

Movies are indeed a great source of entertainment. My family is a die-hard fan of movies and we hardly skip any weekends without watching a movie. So today, I would take this opportunity to talk about my favourite film – A walk to remember.

Actually, last Sunday, me and my cousins gathered at my Aunt’s place for a family reunion and we watched the movie there on her brand new 4k television. As a matter of fact, we made no such plan for a movie night. It was all impromptu.

The movie was a love story, but a sad one. There was something intrinsically sweet about the characters that gradually seemed to take over the movie. It was also the only movie that made me cry while watching.

It was about an outwardly plain Christian girl named Jamie, and Landon, an aimless, reckless guy who breezed through school on looks and popularity. The two develop a powerful and inspirational relationship in which they discover truths that take most people a lifetime to learn.

I like this movie for many reasons. The lead character, Jamie was not afraid of letting people know that her faith was the most important part of her life. That was very awe-inspiring to me. Besides this, The film also manifested that it is possible for people to mend their ways. Above all, it was a love story and that is my favourite kind of genre.

In the end, I would just say that… These great love stories show us that it all comes down to who is by your side and who is willing to stand up for love even when it seems impossible.

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Sample Answer 4:

Describe a Movie That made you think a lot

To be honest, I only watch movies once in a blue moon since I don’t have a lot of free time. However, there’s one movie that really moved me and which I consider my greatest inspiration every time I feel like giving up and that’s the 2006 movie, The Pursuit of Happyness.

That movie was released more than a decade ago but I got the chance to watch it sometime last year when a friend of mine insisted on me watching it. The movie was starred by a high-caliber actor Will Smith, together with his real-life son, Jaden Smith who acted as his young son in the movie and who was only eight years old then.

Well, it’s still vivid in my memory how the movie left me teary-eyed witnessing the struggle of Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith. To give you a synopsis of that movie, Chris became a single father after his wife left him because of financial instability. He was evicted from his apartment with his son for failing to pay the rent, and because of that, they ended up sleeping in a restroom at a station and in homeless shelters. Life’s a struggle for Chris but he refused to give in to despair and did his very best to create a better life for himself and his son. Because of his persistence, he’s able to get a job as a stockbroker and eventually became the owner of a multi-million dollar brokerage firm.

The story was really inspirational, I remember after watching that movie, I thought about my life – I thought about the personal struggles that I’d gone through and told myself that everything would be alright. Since then, that movie became my reminder to not lose hope whenever I face some difficulties that test my strength or when the time comes that I doubt myself. Like recently, I’ve just got laid off from work because of the pandemic and here I am taking this IELTS exam several times now for the sole purpose of chasing my dream. Honestly, I can’t help myself but sometimes feel like giving up, thinking that perhaps, my dream to work abroad isn’t meant for me. However, the moment when I feel I’m on the brink of quitting, that movie reminds me to keep going.

If my friend hadn’t recommended that film and if I hadn’t spared time watching it and learned the valuable life lessons, I would have given up long before.

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Sample Answer 5:

Cue Card on Topic Movie or Film

When I watched the movie “Titanic” for the first time almost twenty years ago, I was pretty much occupied with the tragic love story of two teenagers who met on the biggest ship yet on the earth in 1912. But when I saw the movie once again before about 10 years, I was actually more interested in finding the “Titanic” ship itself and its historical relevance in today’s world. So, if one asks me today why I watched the movie, I would simply say that it perfectly and very boldly portrayed the “demise” of a group of people who thought that they were simply “invincible” and “indestructible” under even the worst of the circumstances.

Having a dominant theme of the power of love to thrive in every situation, the “Titanic”, as one of the greatest movies of all time with 11 academy awards under its name, has tried to reveal that a man can find love in any kind of situation and from any woman in spite of their agonizingly different socio-economic classes. But, of course, their dramatic love had ended when the allegedly ‘unsinkable’ ship, with 2200 people on board including the two love bugs, was drowned unexpectedly after hitting the iceberg and thus killing 1500 people.

This is one of my most favourite movies of all time simply because every aspect of the movie, whether it is with the casting or scene selection, everything has been done so flawlessly for its theme to come out perfectly and clearly. This film was written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron, who is one of the most talented movie-makers in the world. Big movie stars, like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart and Bill Paxton made it worth enjoying. Interestingly, the film includes portrayals of several historical figures which makes it more fascinating and enlightening.

Besides, in my opinion, very few movies have managed to inspire so much emotion as Titanic. Having reconstituted such a mesmerizing historic event in such an aesthetic fashion, the soundtrack of this movie is simply outstanding. Then, there is, of course, finally the sinking part of the ship which just looked too surreal for anyone’s imagination.

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Sample Answer 6:

Describe a Movie You Recently Watched IELTS Cue Card

Lately, I haven’t had much time to go out for a movie since I’ve been up to my eyeballs in reports and presentations. Hence, to relax and boost my mood, I rented some good old movies and made myself some healthy snacks for a late-night treat. “Silver Linings Playbook” is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve lost count how many times I replayed it.

The last time I watched it was a week ago on Saturday night. Oscar-nominated movies were usually not my taste due to their complexity and lack of entertainment but Silver Linings Playbook was an exception. I’ve always preferred something a little sentimental, light-hearted, yet meaningful and this movie had it all. Silver Linings Playbook was an adaptation from the novel written by Matthew Quick, starring two incredibly talented actors Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

This romantic comedy movie was about two wounded souls who once again found beauty in the most unexpected place. Pat (Bradley), a former teacher, was just released from a mental institution and trying to reconcile with his cheated wife despite his family’s protest. He met Tiffany (Jennifer), a woman with problems of her own, and things got complicated. Two people bearing hidden scars with no hope in the future finally had lights in their lives again.

The movie was not heavy at all but extremely entertaining with some laugh-out-loud moments. No matter how many times I’ve watched it, I still got emotional every time I replayed it. The underlying message was also a shout-out to anyone who believes they have hit rock bottom: “When one door closes, another door opens”. Therefore, keep moving forward and don’t lose hope. If anyone runs out of movies to watch, I highly recommend the “Silver Linings Playbook” as a change of appetite.

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Sample Answer 7:

Describe A Movie You Watched at Home or Cinema

As a frequent moviegoer, I watch a lot of films. One of the movies that I enjoyed the most recently was The Martian.

The movie was based on a novel of the same title by Andy Weir. Just like many other sci-fi films, it was about a man travelling in space, however, this time, our main character was stuck on Mars due to a dust storm that nearly killed him. All of the crewmates thought that he was dead, so they went back to Earth without him. But fortunately, he was still alive, thus two and a half hours of the movie told the story of how he fought for his life in the brutal environment of Mars until NASA devised a plan to rescue him.

My best friend is a big fan of astronomy, so she had read [2] the novel before. That’s why she insisted on me going to see the movie with her. After watching the trailer and reading the plot, I was hooked. It was maybe the best two and a half hours of my week so far.

After watching the movie, I was amazed at how ingenious and strong humans can be when it comes to a life and death situation. Mark Watney, the hero of the movie, was a perfect portrayal of a young, humorous, brilliant and skillful engineer cum botanist. Although the hostile environment of Mars threatened his existence many times, he relentlessly refused to quit. Instead, he overcame one problem at a time until he was successfully rescued. The message that I learned from the film is never to give up, however hopeless things seem to be

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Sample Answer 8:

IELTS Cue Card Topic About Movie

Thank you very much for letting me talk about this cue card topic. Interestingly, I initially thought that it would be so easy to talk about my favourite movie but then I realised it is not because there are so many things to talk about but the time is limited! However, I will try.

Well, my favourite movie is ‘Citizen Kane’, – an American mystery drama by Orson Welles which is often considered the best movie ever made. Orson Welles was also its director, producer, co-screenwriter, and the protagonist. This movie won an Academy Award for Original Screenplay and I believe the screenplay of the movie makes it so distinctive and brilliant. Considered by many critics, filmmakers, and fans to be the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane is especially appreciated for its cinematography, music, editing and narrative structure, which have been considered innovative and precedent-setting.

Orson Welles’s epic tale of a publishing tycoon’s rise and fall is entertaining, poignant, and inventive in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a landmark achievement in the movie industry. When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane’s dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane’s friend and colleague Jedediah Leland and his mistress, Susan Alexander shed fragments of light on Kane’s life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man’s final word, “Rosebud.”

The film was absolutely a masterpiece and I had several reasons to like it. Acting, production, cinematography, music, editing and narrative structure, which have been considered innovative and trend-setting, are the main reasons anyone would enjoy this movie. It’s a kind of movie that we do not watch quite often and for me, I consider it the best movie I have ever watched.

At the end of the movie, the reporter – who was assigned to reveal Kane’s last word, concludes that he is unable to solve the mystery and that the meaning of Kane’s last word, “Rosebud”, and it will forever remain a mystery. As the film ends, the camera reveals that “Rosebud” is the trade name of the sled on which the eight-year-old Kane was playing on the day that he was taken from his home in Colorado. Thought to be junk by Xanadu’s staff, the sled is burned in a furnace. The innocence of childhood and happiness in simple thing are incomparable and often hold the secret of life, is something I learned from the movie.

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Sample Answer 9:

Describe a Movie Cue Card Topic

To be honest, I am not that big fan of watching movies. Hence, I don’t watch movies that often. Having said that, I do watch some movies occasionally to relax myself and relieve the work stress that I have. Hence, I love to watch more educational movies from which we get to learn something.

There are some amazing ones being made in India these days. One such movie that I can think of right now is the bollywood movie named Mission Mangal. I watched it somewhere around a year ago, probably last January. It was Sunday that day and luckily all my family members were at home that day and were in a mood to enjoy. So, my cousin suggested we watch this amazing movie. So, we connected Hotstar to our home theater and watched it at home itself with the whole family.

It is a very educational and motivational film. As it is based on true events which happened during India’s mission to Mars and how India became the only country to successfully land on Mars in her first attempt itself. So, it’s basically about India’s manned mission to planet Mars. The whole plot revolves around the hard work, dedication and determination of Indian scientists to make this mission successful. This movie also explains the actual meaning of women empowerment as most of the scientists depicted in the movie are women. Plus, it also sheds light on the hardships that our Indian team of scientists had to face to make this mission a grand success.

Hence, it’s my favourite film as I feel really proud of our space organisation ISRO for accomplishing such a feat despite facing so many problems.
I have watched this movie many times as it motivates me to work hard and be focused on my goals and dreams no matter what. Plus, being a girl it makes me feel empowered in the right way and encourages me to study more as I too aspire to get my doctorate and become a scientist.

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IELTS Speaking Part 3 :

Describe a Movie or Film Cue Card – Follow up Questions

Here are some examples of follow-up questions that you may get during your speaking part 3 by the examiner related to cue card “Describe a Movie or Film”.

Q. Do you think (watching) films have (has) any educational benefits?

Oh, yes. Watching the right kind of movies can have many benefits, especially for the younger generation. Movies are known to create a great and lasting impression on the minds of young people. For instance, documentary movies give us a lot of knowledge about different aspects of life and other things.

Q. In what ways are documentary films and films only for entertainment different?

Well, entertainment films are only meant for enjoyment and mean nothing in general, whereas documentaries are meant to be informative and knowledgeable. Further, feature films are mostly fictionalized and dramatized to a great extent. On the other hand, documentaries are mostly based on true events and occurrences to a great extent.

Q. Why do you think documentary films are not so popular?

Well, they lack the big budget and the publicity that big-budget entertainment movies usually get. Plus, many people love drama and exaggeration, which are not there in documentaries.

Q. How are movies and real-life different?

Actually, they are totally different and poles apart. They are just imaginary stories depicted in an overly dramatic manner as opposed to real-life where we have to deal with things in real life.

Q. Do men and women like to watch the same kinds of films?

Not necessary. But there is a prejudice that women prefer romantic, emotional and high drama movies and men have action and comedy movies as their primary preferences.

Q. Do different age groups like the same kinds of films?

In my opinion, small kids and toddlers mostly enjoy cartoons and animated films. As they grow up they get attracted more towards action and rom-com and older people watch more historical and family movies.

Q. What kinds of films are popular?
I think the most popular movies are the ones that have a happy ending. This is what most moviegoers expect and anticipate, and to see something else would be quite jarring for most.

I think Hollywood has bred this kind of expectation that everything should work out in the end in spite of the challenges and difficulties that are faced along the way. Personally, I quite like this notion, and I believe that this kind of optimism is great for society. It motivates people to keep trying in the face of adversity.

Second to this, entertaining movies. There are some movies that are really dry and are a challenge to sit through because they’re so boring. But people love to laugh and the ones that are the funniest are usually the biggest box office successes.

Q. What kind of films do young people like to watch?
I suppose it depends on how young they are. If they’re children, they’re more likely to enjoy watching animated movies with talking animals or films that feature superheroes. I think adults like those movies too, but they’re definitely geared towards kids.

Teenagers would probably like the same kinds of movies as adults. Movies that used to be taboo for them are likely to be more appealing though. Horror movies and movies with adult themes are inappropriate for children, as they may be overwhelmed by what they see. However, as a person matures they’re better equipped to deal with such content and make informed choices about what they consume. As such, they’re going to want to test the waters and watch movies with content they’ve never seen before.

Q. Do fewer people watch films at the cinema nowadays?
Maybe, it’s not something I’ve thought about before. Going to the cinema is expensive and not as convenient as watching a movie at home. Also, not every cinema is super clean, and there might be popcorn left on the seats and floor.

However, there’s something about seeing a movie in a cinema that’s hard to recreate at home. Even the best home theaters aren’t going to be able to match the quality that’s available at a cinema, although in some people’s eyes, it comes close.

I think people tend to see movies at a cinema because it’s where they’re able to see the latest releases. Some people do choose to pirate new movies, and this is one way that someone would be able to watch a new movie at home, although it’s not very ethical.

Q. Do you think cinemas will disappear in the future?
Probably not. Although it’s hard to make predictions about the future, I think cinemas will be around for the foreseeable future. For as long as movies are first released to cinemas, and for as long as it’s perceived as a social activity, cinemas will still be a thing.

I think that movies will be available for people to buy and stream at home in the future, and home cinema technology will advice to such a level that it will parallel most cinemas, so it’s possible that the number of people going to the cinema will dwindle, but not to the point where cinemas will disappear completely.

I do think that cinemas will have to become more competitive to stay relevant. People will want a more immersive experience, perhaps using some form of virtual reality that they can’t readily emulate at home.

Q. Do you like any particular film star? Why?

Um, yes. I really like Akshay Kumar. He is an actor par excellence. Apart from his movies his lifestyle and attitude are also very inspirational. He wakes up early and sleeps early just like me and is a fitness inspiration for millions. We can learn a lot about discipline and self-control from him. So, he’s my favourite as I find him very inspirational and motivating.

Q. Describe a war movie you like.
Answer: I’m going to tell you about ‘Braveheart’, a war movie directed by Mel Gibson, who was also the leading character. The movie was released in 1995 and was written by Randall Wallace. In the 14th century, William Wallace, a Scottish warrior, leads his people in a rebellion against the tyranny of the English King, who has given English nobility the ‘Prima Nocta’ – a right to take all new brides for the first night. The Scots were not pleased with the brutal English invaders, but they lack the leadership to fight back. Wallace creates a legend of himself, with his courageous defense of his people and attacks on the English. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards at the 68th Academy Awards and won five: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Editing.

Other war movies you can say about: The Pianist, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Apocalypse Now, Good Morning Vietnam, War Horse, Downfall, Lincoln, and Imitation Game.

Q. What’s the difference between the movies in your country and Hollywood movies?
Answer: I believe that the movies in my country aren’t that good as Hollywood movies are. First of all, the budget is really low for local movies and that is why there are very limited opportunities. Not all scenes are impressive and there are no special effects, something that dominates in Hollywood. Furthermore, the actors in local movies aren’t so famous and talented, on the contrary in Hollywood they are of worldwide fame. There is a large variety of topics and themes in Hollywood movies. However, our local movies do not deal with a wide range of themes. Finally, Hollywood movies are released and enjoyed worldwide while our local movies are mostly made for us except for some very few movies that get international attention.

Q. What do you think of violent films?
Answer: I would say that it depends on the type of violence. To be more precise, I like movies with violent scenes because they’re interesting and include more actions. In those movies, the good wins over the bad. It’s a kind of vindication and the message that good prevails over bad. I don’t like movies that involve rapes. In particular, I hate these movies. I would not say that it’s something that isn’t happening, but I think that promoting women’s humiliation and debasement is not a good thing. So, I would come to the conclusion that I partly like violent movies and specifically, it depends on the story. However, unnecessary violence is not liked by all and I am no exception.

Q. Why do movies need computer techniques? Any example of movies using computer techniques?
Answer: Well, computer techniques should be used to add some characteristics to movies so that they can be more impressive and believable. Especially nowadays this opportunity is much more in use than in the past. Many things that were unfeasible are attainable now with computer technology in the movie industry. A remarkable example could be ‘Avatar’, a movie that was critically acclaimed and had a million views worldwide. The groundbreaking visual effects used to make humans look like extraterrestrial beings were amazing and that was the primary reason that the film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film of all time in England, Canada and the USA.

Q. Which parts of a movie are the most important and how to improve it?
Answer: It is an undeniable fact that all the parts of a movie are extremely important, but it seems to me that more attention should be given to the finishing of a movie. There are many examples of movies that were very interesting but the end was extremely boring and disappointing. In this case, I totally believe that the end negates all the good things that happened in the rest of the movie and leaves a bad impression on the viewers. So, my opinion is that the last part/ finishing part of a film should be of paramount importance and it can be achieved by providing a distinct and not vague message to the viewers and making things clear in their minds.

Also Check: Talk About a Book You Read Recently IELTS Cue Card