Gosh darn women, thinking they can talk about movies and stuff!
The Gist
Christine Makepeace and Emily Intravia are the two hosts of the somewhat biweekly The Feminine Critique. Episodes are usually around two hours in length, and the podcast has been around since late 2012. The premise of the podcast is that of film criticism from a more female point of view. Each episode consists of a what we’ve been watching segment and reviews of a pair of movies that are related in some fashion.
Episodes Listened To
#21: Student Bodies
#22: Bedazzled Raptures
#23: Super Blondes
My Thoughts
Let’s be honest folks, the film world is male dominated. There are great female minds out there offering up film criticism and discourse, but they are very much in the minority. I’m not sure whether it’s a case of women in film being a physical or vocal minority. Either way, I know that the vast majority of critics I come across happen to be of the penis having variety. That’s why it’s a thrill to come across critics like Alison Wilmore, of Filmspotting: Streaming Video Unit, or Seema, of They Shot Pictures and Cinema On The Road. They are strong female voices who offer up great takes regardless of their gender.
I was hoping for more of the same from The Feminine Critique, and I’m very happy to say that the podcast delivered. I don’t want to pigeonhole either Emily Intravia or Christine Makepeace into some sort of “women who talk about film,” category. They do offer a distinctively female perspective on the films they watch, but they offer a lot more than that. In the most general sense Misses Intravia and Makepeace offer quality film criticism. More than looking for a unique female perspective, I’m always in the hunt for people who make worthwhile contributions to the world of film discourse. I found that in The Feminine Critique and this led to the sort of enrichment I want from my film related podcasts.
What really makes The Feminine Critique such a great podcast is that the hosts don’t just drop knowledge. They do offer great insight and they are able to really dig into a film and express the effect a film had on them. Misses Makepeace and Intravia move beyond that level though, and in the end they offer a podcast that is filled with fun and interesting conversations. Hearing them rant about Supergirl was a real treat, and their breakdown of Thor was just as pleasing. My enjoyment had just as much to do with their criticism as they way the hosts went about articulating their criticism. I would never dream of accusing Misses Intravia or Makepeace of being too vanilla. They dig deep while having fun and displaying a friendly back and forth that is highly entertaining.
My vote is to subscribe to The Feminine Critique. The film criticism is great, and the hosts do offer a uniquely female perspective on the world of film. Beyond that, they engage in enjoyable conversations that are pleasing and stimulating at the same time. The Feminine Critique is one of the podcasts that I would recommend to any cinephile, because if you’re not listening to what these ladies have to say you’re missing the boat entirely.
The Bottom Line
Subscribe
Cheers,
Bill
Bill's Movie Emporium 