2010, just thirteen years ago–but in a place so disconnected from this current reality–a group of women struggle with physical abuse at the hands of the men living within their community. As they begin to come to terms with the only few choices they have, the group sits and discusses those possibilities and the consequences of each. This is just a bunch of Women Talking, but they will soon find that their voices are far more powerful than any other weapon that they might yield, and that the answers that they’ve often searched for may be right in front of them.
Women Talking is a story of semantics, intellect, passion, and more as they become one, unstoppable force. This is simply a smart film, that requires a certain level of comprehension skills in order to understand and appreciate it. I love that. A film that forces its viewers to think, to really dive into the dialogue in order to understand is simply brilliant–effectively becoming immersive as it progresses. Every word is brilliantly crafted, every piece of the puzzle is meticulously placed right where it belongs, and Women Talking finds just the right ways to be effective.

Women Talking couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. As we continue to navigate things like abortion and women’s rights, the saying “my body, my choice,” regardless of whether or not it’s explicitly said in the film, comes to mind and plays a pivotal role in the conversations held among the group of women on screen. The time in which something is released can have a massive effect on its reception–and I’m not sure that Women Talking could have been given to the world at a better time–allowing its series of messages to resonate with viewers in a special way. What I love about this more than anything else is that the messages present in Women Talking are never aggressively thrown at viewers, but rather appropriately developed in a way that sees them grow and reach viewers organically.
The characters present in Women Talking are an interesting blend of out of touch with reality and brilliantly grounded. The characters are forced to be out of touch, and their conversations sometimes express to viewers that the grasp they have on reality is not quite as firm as they would like to believe it is. This aspect of the character development comes in the form of humor. In such intense situations, each and every character contains genuine, unbridled comedy within them–and it comes out at the most inappropriate times. Sure, there are people in the world that laugh at funerals and struggle to show emotion correctly–but it’s not just the inability to control their emotions that exists here, it’s far different. To be clear, the comedy present in Women Talking is spectacular. It’s a combination of crude and wholesome, and the genres of humor blend wonderfully throughout.
On the opposite side of those characters is something far more realistic, but equally beautiful. The reality that they are grounded is established early and developed throughout. This side of the dynamic characters reaches out and touches viewers, it allows them the opportunity to see exactly what they have in common with the people on screen. In a series of ways characters like Ona (Rooney Mara), Agata (Judith Ivey), and Mejal (Michelle McLeod) are unique, but the ability of Writer-Director Sarah Polley to shift the characters, develop them so wonderfully, helps viewers to make connections, to believe every word spoken on screen, and to feel the pain and the wrath of these powerful women.
Another unique juxtaposition is the film’s aesthetic. The entirety of the film is gritty and drab–and according to Polley, this decision was made in order to represent “a world that had faded in the past.” Viewers absolutely get that, and they are able to appreciate the sentiment behind Polley’s decision. This plays a pivotal role in the film, and it helps viewers to better understand the events that transpire before them in Women Talking. The juxtaposition, however, is that, on occasion, a glimmer of hope is shown by way of light. The sun is often the way in which this positivity is shown, and its positioning on screen creates this impeccable blend of tones that drive Women Talking forward and toward success.
To think that the events depicted in Women Talking are based on true events is sickening. Hearing the horrific things that humans shouldn’t be capable of hits a nerve, and it draws out powerful emotions in viewers. If you’re going into Women Talking, expecting anything other than women talking, you’re likely to be disappointed–but understand that the power of the words spoken is simply unprecedented, and every second of this film works. Women Talking is powered by perfect performances, sound narrative details, and juxtapositionally beautiful aesthetics–and every decision made by Polley and her team works as planned.
Written & Directed by Sarah Polley.
Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey, Emily Mitchell, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil, Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod, Ben Whishaw, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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