Women Talking Movie Review
Nathan Swank
December 30th, 2022
Much like my favorite 2021 movie MASS, WOMEN TALKING is mostly confined to conversation in a single space. However, there are moments that break away that better set the place, time, and horrific nature of the conversation. After the women have a tie vote on what to do, a select few discuss what action they should take next: Stay and fight or Leave. A compelling true story about many different ways to have courage as a victim, director Sarah Polley explores the strength of women while constantly being brutally attacked physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As I said, WOMEN TALKING is based on a true story, but it is deceiving in the time period. We learn that in this community, involving cult-like behavior, the men keep the women at home with minimal modern access. Most of the story unravels slowly, but a man was caught sneaking and violating a younger girl. The women realize this has been going on for a while, but told it was mostly their own sinful doing being punished. These unspeakable acts of trauma are being realized for the first time. After a tie vote, a few of the women are chosen to make the decision for the entire group on what their action should be.
Nearly the entire film takes place at the top of a barn through conversation. Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Jessie Buckley lead the conversation with exceptionally strong performances as characters with three different and thought-provoking opinions. Other supporting women contributing to this conversation are Judith Ivey as an older member of the group and Michele McLeod as a younger member. Liv McNeil serves as one of the many children being affected. Frances McDormand also has a small but weighty role as a hard-nosed senior member and Ben Whishaw rounds out the cast as a trusted, meek male member who is there strictly to keep the notes of the meeting since the women are not allowed to learn to read or write.
WOMEN TALKING is an impressively crafted emotional story that will hopefully get some award recognition, particularly in the screenplay category. All the performances are very strong, with Michele McLeod and Ben Whishaw as my personal favorites. WOMEN TALKING is one of those films that is hard to consume, but it is a necessary difficulty. Incredibly impactful, WOMEN TALKING gives a glimpse and understanding of the enduring strength women are able to achieve through unspeakable cruelty.
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