By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.3 cats
Director: Sarah Polley
Starring: Ben Whishaw | Claire Foy | Frances McDormand | Jessie Buckley | Judith Ivey | Rooney Mara | Sheila McCarthy
Country: united_states
Year: 2022
Running time: 104
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13669038/reference/
Brett says: “WOMEN TALKING re-molds a world of an isolated religious community that is at least somewhat familiar to most North American audiences. It is a reshaping, reimagining of Mennonite society, even though the film is careful never to utter that exact point of reference anywhere during its story. The unique approach is that in a community led by men, particularly “the elders,” it is a film that focuses primarily on the voices of the women in the community.
“The setting and dialogue-heavy plot is conducive to a stage play, but director Sarah Polley’s intricate decisions with camera positioning and timing among the interplay of the many characters involved lend themselves to a translation that can only be served as effectively as it is through the language of cinema.
“The atmosphere in the work here feels like a fable in its grounded morality but heightened and emblematic feel. The film begins after a pattern of violence toward the oppressed females of the community, so a clandestine vote and subsequent meeting among a delegation of the women now decide the fates of the group as a whole. The title operates thusly on a literal level, as by-and-large, the remainder of the film is the dialogue of the meeting that takes place throughout the evening until sunrise. There is a little hint of something extra to be said for in the title, however, for the overlooked and suppressed voices of the community seeking their autonomy and putting natural rights before expectations: a sort of subversive title alluding to the ‘what the men don’t even know’ counteroffensive, not through violence but through their own collective wills and power within. It’s not even so much about the meeting itself, but all of their individual beings that go overlooked and have much more weight and inner power than what the men have otherwise disregarded and remained ignorant about.
“A male educator remains privy to the organization and serves as the trusted, neutral secretary of the minutes since these members of the community are kept illiterate. The meeting is dramatically heightened throughout, filmed with a dulled set of hues that instill a sort of nostalgia as if for something that is already past: almost an artifact in itself, like the notes of the meeting. There is a heavy gravity to each exchange and viewpoint expressed throughout. Each character is respected and amply represented by Polley as she threads all characters’ perspectives together like her own patchwork quilt of the community.
“The casting of the film is full of top tier names, but it’s the supporting cast that, in this viewer’s assessment, truly anchors the work. It’s not that the leads are lacking in their respective performances; rather, with the fair and balanced attention Polley affords to so many characters, much of the authentic feel of the community just comes across easier through secondary characters that feel less frothy.
‘It is an engaging work, well edited and directed to keep what is a work mostly occurring within one confined location feeling like it is many places and viewpoints at once. In fact, some of the visual representations of the moments of stillness and pivotal transitions within the single location still resonate even more after the end credits roll than some of the thematic lines of dialogue.
4 cats out of 5
“WOMEN TALKING is a film from director Sarah Polley and is written by Polley and Miriam Toews. It stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey, Michelle McLeod, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil, Sheila McCarthy, and Ben Whishaw, among a well-balanced host of others.”
Chris says: “Sarah Polley’s return to directing after a decade carries almost ridiculously high expectations due to her previous, consistently strong body of work (AWAY FROM HER, TAKE THIS WALTZ, STORIES WE TELL) and all the awards season hype already showered upon this new film, which Polley adapted from Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel. Happily, WOMEN TALKING mostly meets them.
“Set in a remote, rural, unnamed religious community (though Mennonite seems most likely), it revolves around an emergency, clandestine meeting among about a dozen of its women. Upon discovery that some of their men are drugging and raping them, they debate whether all the women should stay and fight back or leave the settlement with their younger children. It takes place in the near-present, though with the addition of an unlikely musical cue it could reasonably be any time since the late 1960’s (it also leaves open the possibility that it could even be in the near (or remote) future.)
“Much of it is exactly what the title promises: the women process the dilemma before them, discussing and arguing at length the implications of what courses of action are available to them. If this sounds dry and overly, well, talky, it’s visually far less static and isolated than something like last year’s (admittedly great) Mass. Polley not only sculpts dialogue to ebb and flow naturally like a good screenplay should, she also comprehends the value of opening up this world cinematically when the time is right for it. As the camera moves around and sometimes away from the barn where much of the action occurs, one can usually sense Polley’s hand as an additional unseen character right beside the women, reacting to and often enhancing what transpires.
“The superb ensemble cast includes indie-friendly stars (Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy), Canadian stalwarts (Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod), revered veterans (Judith Ivey and in a smaller role, Frances McDormand) and Ben Whishaw as the sole on-screen male, a sympathetic school teacher asked to take minutes of the meeting (most of the women there are not taught to read and write.)
“As the women work their way towards decisive action, the film accumulates considerable power, laying out what’s at stake for these characters, illustrating their turmoil (but never in an exploitative way) and placing it in a larger context that strives to be universally applicable. Occasionally, the story oversteps, simplifying logistical concerns for actions taken; the final section also drags a bit, reiterating ideas and emotional beats already touched upon. However, those are minor missteps. The world Polley depicts is contained to the point of being restrictive; Women Talking, with great catharsis and reasoning explains with artful clarity as to why this is damaging and what future generations can do to avoid succumbing to such a closed-off, incomplete life. 4.5 cats
“(Screened at IFF Boston’s 2022 Fall Focus; opens theatrically this December.)”
Michael says: “It’s so very exciting to see Sarah Polley back in the director’s chair after taking an extended hiatus to raise a family and to recover from a serious concussion, and she is in fine form. Polley’s adaptation of a novel based on actual events explores the discussions held by a group of women in an isolated religious colony after years of sexual abuse by the men in their colony have been uncovered. The title of the film is not wrong, this is all about the conversations these women have, and the sharing of very differing points-of-view of what should be done. Polley does a masterful job at having the narratives flow in a way that is natural, and also absorbing for the viewer. She is assisted by a phenomenally talented ensemble of women actors who bring each character’s story to vivid life. I hope this is the first of along string of films directed by Polley now that she’s back in the chair. 4 cats”
Julie says: “This film was quite powerful. Another must see! Again I would rate higher than Chris. Closer to 5 cats! Great ensemble, directing and adaptation of a true story. Some nice cinematography as well. The Mennonite type ‘uniform’ of these women brought to mind how in the military or private schools where uniforms are worn, the idea at least in part that you can’t hide behind your clothes, or create distractions with them, and the true and distinct personality can really shine through as the only differentiator. That is the case in this film highlighting the excellent acting jobs done by all these women. Such a wonderful ensemble opportunity in this one.”