Each year there are always films that attempt to grab our attention with their award-worthy performances and their urgent stories that tell relevant and modern issues under a different and character-driven spotlight. These films are usually biopics or based on real life events, but every so often a story comes along that just changes your whole perspective of the world. Women Talking is one of those films. This is a film with a lot of themes and messages which it attempts to convey to audiences and it succeeds on every account. Whether it’s about the patriarchy, oppression, abuse, motherhood or feminism, this film covers them all, and the result if a powerful piece of work.
It doesn’t matter who you are as there will be a way in which this story will relate to you, whether it’s a character that resembles someone you know or you could perhaps see yourself in one of the characters. It’s an incredibly nuanced story told with sensitivity and urgency despite the fact that the majority of the film takes place in a hayloft within a closed-off community. Despite the singular location, the film moves forward at a brisk pace as the characters discuss and argue over whether all the women at this small colony should stand up to their male abusers and fight, or flee and attempt a new life but be at the risk of losing their faith. It’s a scenario which none of the women want to be in, but one where they must make a choice if they are to survive and thrive as the people they are.
Sarah Polley is a filmmaker with very few high-brow films or films that have been seen by a wider audience and that plays to her advantage. As a result she can subvert expectations and smash genre conventions if she chooses too. Polley has written the script which is itself based on a novel of the same name in such a subdued and yet cinematic way and that is in many ways thanks to the terrific cast. Frances McDormand, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara and Claire Foy are just some of the names who play some of the characters in the colony within the film. Each one has a reason why they want to either leave or fight, but despite their divided intentions they must unite and pick one option altogether as a group otherwise it will create further problems within the community.
The stakes are high, the characters feel real and withdrawn into their shells as they face up to the harsh truth of what they’re all currently going through. The abuse is rarely seen but is plenty heard, and as a storytelling device, it never feels like they're after pity and they are not even written as thinly drawn victims either. Instead, we are educated, and informed and we feel the pain that they feel through the screen. The word “powerful” gets overused in this medium but this film is beyond “powerful”. It demands to be heard, the performances show how vulnerable these women really are and the precarious position they find themselves in. It’s not just the adults either, but children’s lives are at stake too. You’ll go from feeling angry to frustrated to enraged as you learn of the devilish behaviours the men of this community have. With a short time limit before the men of the community come back, the film has a sense of urgency. This important and life-changing decision has to be made with haste and yet with care too as a lot of lives are on the line.
It’s not just the performances that make this film feel the way it does, but the toned-down colours and the camera lenses put more focus and emphasis on how this world is very morally grey. The innocence is lost and every frame you see on the screen feels depressing and mournful, almost like we are in their shoes which not a lot of filmmakers can easily convey and yet Polley makes it look almost too easy. Polley is a talented filmmaker and storyteller. She cares and yearns for these characters and by the end of the film, you will realise how important this choice is the only unfortunate thing is we don’t get to see what happens to the women post-decision. We can only hope their lives change for the better considering what they’ve already been through.
★★★★★
5/5
Final Verdict:
Despite the closed setting and the emphasis on character and dialogue, Women Talking feels just as cinematic as the other films it is competing against this awards season. It is a richly told story and the film feels almost timeless and unfortunately still heavily relevant. The issues it discusses need to be discussed and as an audience member we can’t help but ponder the same consequences and actions that these characters must go through in order to have a brighter future. Tense, gripping and immersive, Women Talking will not linger on your mind and will likely stick with you forever.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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