Open To Criticism

For the final episode in the current season I'm speaking to leading academic on Black British and African American film, Dr Clive Nwonka. Clive's latest book Black Boys: The Social Aesthetics of British Urban Film is the first to have been written on the subject. In it, Clive argues the need for this often overlooked and denigrated genre to be properly recognised in its own right - so that it migh...

The much maligned Rom-Com is a perfect example of how a whole film genre can be dismissed by dint of who the stories are for, and who they are about. (Clue: it's not men!). After a classy start in Hollywood, Rom Coms - and their sister genre 'Chick Flicks" - have been used to dismiss a particular type of love story, and anyone who's dared to enjoy them. And so the Guilty Pleasure was born. Thankfu...

I return to the subject of critics versus influences this week, following my enlightening chat with critic and industry influencer Ashanti Omkar back in Season 1. Influencers are increasingly being used by film publicists to provide exposure and hype ahead of film releases - especially Blockbusters. But has it gone too far? Some critics think so - and there was industry outrage last summer when ma...

In the hierarchy of film genres, those aimed at kids, or "family" movies, don't tend to be up there. Even though from Toy Story, to Finding Nemo to Snow White and her Dwarves, there's a long history of iconic movies that have defined the childhoods of generations. Kids' films are also a minefield for parents - discerning what is age appropriate and what to expect from the somewhat confusing certif...

Perhaps it's rash of me to assume you're on board with my narrative about inequalities in film criticism and its skewed white male demographic. Perhaps you need to hear from someone at the coalface of data who can confirm my claims - and add to them with their own reputable research. If so, then this week's conversation with Stephen Follows should be just the ticket. Stephen's a data researcher an...

We're back to sex again, because let's face it, it's a key area where inequality and abuse can take place onscreen. However, since the Weinstein furore, more attention is being paid to how intimate scenes are filmed, and how actors are supported in these vulnerable spaces. So how about changes in the way that audiences and critics are perceiving and discussing the sex and other intimate scenes the...

This week I talk to critic Gabriella Geisinger about the representation of Jews onscreen, prompted by several big movies in the past year that provoked debate about authentic casting. I'm talking of course about Maestro, Oppenheimer and Golda. I reached out to Gabriella after reading her insightful article about Bradley Cooper's prosthetic nose and the debate that it, and his casting in the role o...

Film festivals are more than just red carpet glamour. They're THE launchpad for movies, and the difference between a positive critic reaction versus an across the board trashing can make or break a film. But whilst there are a much more representative cohort of critics working today, it's still the same faces and traditional demographic attending the big festivals. Which means those big first revi...

I'm back for a new season of my two-time award nominated podcast! Kicking off in fine style with critic, author, podcaster, author and film programmer Anna Bogutskaya. Anna's fascinating book Unlikeable Female Characters interrogates nine key tropes of female representation, including the angry woman and the pyscho. We dig into the long history of moralising about how women have been permitted to...

The two-time UK Independent Award nominated podcast Open To Criticism is back for season 2! And to mark International Women's Day 2024 the trailer goes live and features four awesome women coming up in the season: Critics Gabriella Geisinger and Anna Bogutskaya, onset intimacy co-ordinator Ita O'Brien and Film Festival PR and strategist Mia Farrell. Check out the first episode coming March 15th Ho...

For the final episode of season 1 I dig deep into the theme of critic identity, in a bid to really illustrate how beneficial it is to gain alternative perspectives to the false norm of the straight white male. My guest Guy Lodge is a very established critic whose queer perspective challenges the heteronormative assumptions of both mainstream filmmaking and traditional criticism. This week we discu...

This week we look at the recent explosion of quality filmmaking in Asia, Africa and across the Arab world with critic, producer and author Kaleem Aftab. Kaleem explains how cheaper technology, recent social movements and streaming are just some of the factors enabling new filmmakers from these regions to start taking ownership of their stories - stories that have often been misrepresented and expl...

The issue of identity and how much a critic brings theirs into their work has been a longstanding debate. Traditionally critics believed in assuming a neutral detached standpoint. Now however, that supposed 'universal' position is being challenged for actually being the white male perspective born of their domination of the field. My guest this week Hanna Flint and her book Strong Female Character...

Rethinking criticism in the light of wider changes in the film industry - as a result of MeToo, BLM and Times Up - helps determine a way forward. But what does that mean for cinema's history? How do we now reappraise many classic films and their increasingly troublesome representations from our viewpoint of the 21st century? The person to ask is definitely this week's guest: critic and film histor...

For the longest time, critics have been an important cog in the wheel of film promotion. However, film publicists are now utilising social media influencers and their huge numbers of followers. By wooing influencers and inviting them to special preview screenings, vast online attention is garnered via viral photos from these glitzy media events - with the bonus that enthusiastic influencers can he...

This week I'm being a swotty fangirl, as my guest is someone whose work I've revered for several years now. Mattias Frey is a film and media industries scholar and he's Professor and Head of the Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries at City, University of London. He's written several books, but his 2015 publication The Permanent Crisis of Film Criticism: The Anxiety of Authorit...

Sex and the movies. It's a perfect combination, except when it isn't. #MeToo has prompted a realisation that onscreen depictions of sex need rethinking - especially when it comes to women. There's a wider understanding of the Male Gaze now, so how is it impacting the way we perceive and discuss female sex and nudity? And can we be more more careful about sex onscreen without losing the intended se...

Amon Warmann is one of very few black male film critics in the UK, and despite having carved out an impressive career over the.past decade he can still struggle to be seen beyond his racial credentials. Amon reflects upon this in this weeks episode, along with how he found his voice in a decidedly white space, how lighthearted film chats on social media can get messy, and his frustrations with the...

Whilst the push for better representation for women and people of colour has become more mainstream, the disabled community are yet to be included to the same degree. This matters hugely when it comes to cinema because of its long-standing problematic history when representing disability. From failing to cast disabled actors, to entrenched tropes where disability denotes evil or societal outsiders...

This week I chew the fat with film critic Anna Smith who's done much to progress film and critic culture, especially for women via her award winning podcast Girls On Film. Anna was Chair of the UK Film Critics' Circle for six years and was key to making changes that reflect the MeToo, BLM and Times Up era. We ruminate over how film criticism has changed since we both came on board many years ago,...

2023's Awards season has been a mixed bag - and definitely not mixed enough in terms of representation amongst the winners. This week's guest, critic Leila Latif, has built a career speaking out about the continued lack of recognition for people-of-colour in film. In this episode we discuss the problem with awards campaigns, the unreasonable attacks and judgement endured by Spike Lee and other bla...

Women have had their (brief) moments of power during the 100+ years of Hollywood, but they and other marginalised groups have never had an easy ride. Film critic Helen O'Hara's book Women vs Hollywood: the Fall and Rise of Women in Film is a must-read for understanding this history of cinema - from the perspective of those still trying to get an equal piece of the pie. She's the perfect way to kic...

Film Critic Wendy Lloyd sets out this new podcast that investigates how we talk about movies, who gets to do it and why it matters. Previewing upcoming interviews with critics Helen O'Hara, Amon Warmann and Anna Smith, this'll whet your appetite for a series of lively conversations about the changing face of film and its criticism. Launching 10th March 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...