Sarah Polley’s “Talking Women” is set in an isolated religious community and focuses on women who are contemplating leaving their homes.
Reason?
Nearby men snuck into their home at night and assaulted them. The women decided that they had three options to vote: Do Nothing, Stay and Fight or Go.
Initially, the discussion revolved around the idea that leaving their home would lead to damnation in hell. Others questioned the logic of staying, as well as how their beliefs played a role in their decision to run away or stay as they are.
Sadly, the movie is Based on a true story.
In 2011, a group of men were accused of drugging and raping women in a Mennonite community in Bolivia. The film is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews.
Two things to know in advance about “The Talking Women”: the rapes were never described, only discussed, and Polley didn’t make a polemic or even a heavy-handed movie. There is a legitimate anger in the dialogue and the film overall, but there is a suspense about how the story will unfold.
Nothing here feels inevitable or political. Polley’s films are not an easy movie to watch, due to their unusual presentation and dark undertones, but there is a realism and immediacy here that each performer is connected to.
The women are played by Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey and Frances McDormand. Ben Whishaw makes the most of the role of a curious supporting character, a male witness assigned to “record” the discussion.
The cast is a collection of rich performances but the standout is Foy; there’s fire in Foy’s performance that makes her character particularly compelling. That said, there aren’t any bad performances here and at 104 minutes, the film is well-paced and never has a didactic feel.
Presenting a muted palette and mostly a single setting, it’s like a filmed play with an extraordinary cast. I was initially opposed to the theatrical presentation in which Polley revealed the story, but this approach developed in me.
Although the form of the film never changes (so does the location, although there are a few external shots), what attracts me is the inner fire of the characters, the immediacy of speech. and how we feel the power of those decisions. being weighed.
Because the characters have grown up in this community, exhibiting varying degrees of awareness and authority, I never felt judged against them and neither did the movie. While not a film that presents a “faith-based” view of a religious community, it is notable for the respect it has for its characters.
Polley is no stranger to difficult material – among her breakout roles was in Atom Egoyan’s “The Sweet Hereafter” (1998) (1998), about a school bus crash that devastated the entire world. a community.
Polley’s directorial debut was the wonderful film “Away From Her” (2006), an excellent adaptation of Alice Munro’s “The Bear Came Over The Mountain” (2001). In addition to presenting the best performance of Julie Christie’s haunting career, “Away From Her” is also one of the most sensitive, revealing, and layered films to explore the subject of Alzheimer’s disease.
I was less intrigued by her subsequent films, the 2011 Seth Rogen/Michelle Williams romantic drama “Take This Waltz” and “Stories We Tell” (2012), a documentary about her own family history. “Women Talking” is almost as good as her directorial debut and showcases her prowess with actors and character-driven story.
The use of “Daydream Believer” by Monkeys in an indelibly important scene, I doubt I’ll ever hear that song again without thinking of this movie.
Three Stars
