WOMEN TALKING
2022 | Dir. Sarah Polley | 104 Minutes
"Why does love, the absence of love, the end of love, the need for love, result in so much violence?"
When the women of an isolated Mennonite colony discover that they have been habitually drugged and raped by the men in their community, they must decide whether to take no action, to fight, or to leave.
Adapted from Miriam Toews's 2018 novel of the same name, writer/director Sarah Polley's Women Talking is an intense drama that predominantly takes place in one setting in a relatively short span of time. While the inciting incidents leading to the central discussion are never depicted directly, Polley ensures that the shockwave of the assaults suffered by the women reverberate through the entire story, delivering an emotionally powerful experience throughout the film. The narrative thoroughly explores all options available to survivors of chronic abuse, specifically women, as well as the actions that must be taken to educate future generations. Each character presents varying but relatable viewpoints that are easy to understand, stances ranging from relatively moderate to fervently extreme. One is ready to do battle with the men, another is cynically resigned to defeat, and yet another optimistically promotes radical change without resorting to violence. The greatest strength of Polley's screenplay is that every lead role is given a wealth of sympathy and nuance, each player given ample opportunity to command the screen.
Polley's visual style is absolutely striking, her shot selection is always aesthetically appealing. However, the consistent drab muted color palette, while making a clear thematic point, can be too wearisome if the viewer doesn't acclimate to it. While the majority of film takes place in the hayloft where the principal characters passionately debate over the best course of action to take, the tension always peaks when the picture cuts to flashback sequences depicting the women in the immediate aftermath of each attack, reminding the viewer of the stakes in the most chilling manner.
Rooney Mara is captivating as optimistic Ona, giving an arrestingly warm and radiant performance. A force to be reckoned with, Claire Foy's screen presence is magnificent playing the angry Salome, exuding so much fury. As bitter Mariche who doesn't see the point of taking any action, Jessie Buckley is convincingly prickly and antagonistic. Michelle McLeod provides a sympathetic performance as sensitive Mejal, particularly heartbreaking when in her panic attack scene. Playing soft-spoken scribe August, Ben Whishaw is appropriately understated but incredibly affecting. The support cast includes Judith Ivey as level-headed Agata, Sheila McCarthy as Greta who is always ready to share an allegorical story about her horses, Kate Hallett and Liv McNeil as children Autje and Nietje, August Winter as the trans boy Melvin, and Frances McDormand essentially making a glorified cameo appearance as hostile Scarface Janz.
Women Talking is a riveting drama that presents an isolated microcosm of atrocious sexist injustice with implications that are relevant to all. While the picture is almost exclusively centered on extended heated discourse in one remote location, demanding a dauntingly high level of engagement from the audience, the upsetting inequity it addresses plays out in every community big and small, and is worthy of recurring interrogation. It is a testament to the power of Polley's directing talent and the strength of its fantastic cast that the film so exceptionally engrossing.
FRAGMENTS
- The use of The Monkees' "Daydream Believer" is particularly unsettling in this film
- Hildur Guðnadóttir composed the scores for this film and another 2023 Best Picture Oscar Nominee Tár
007 CONNECTIONS
