A Film Review of Women Talking (2022)

 


"Why does love - the absence of love, the end of love, the need for love - result in so much violence?"


    From the very first frame of Women Talking, there is a clear dichotomy between beauty and violence that permeates throughout the rest of the film. For a film that is based on a book that is based on a real life events in Bolivia, it is purely cinematic. The visuals and sequences that writer/director Sarah Polley is able to pull from this story is truly impressive. 

The story itself is simple, women in an isolated colony closed off from the outside world have to decide whether they will stay and fight against the men that have done horrible things to them and their children, or leave. Although the concept is straight forward and the look of the film is minimal, there is a clear sense of purpose in every moment. Even the way that this film is colored is full of intentionality, as if Polley herself washed out all of the color in each image. 

    The setting of the colony is a character all on its own, with its dark exterior architecture and even darker interiors. The most prominent set piece is the barn that the women discuss in, which provides the perfect backdrop for the conversation. There are tall ceilings made of a nearly black wood, yet there is a large window on the far end as a symbol of the light and salvation that can come if they make a joint decision. The film says so much with so little, and trusts that the power of the performances will tell you anything you need to know. 

    As far as ensemble performances are concerned, this is easily among the best of the year. It's hard to find a standout, as the film is written in a way where everyone has ample opportunities to flex their acting muscles. There were only a handful of moments that felt overwritten in a way that took me out of the experience, most of them including a surprising amount of humor. Given the fact that the story is mainly told over the course of one day and that the urgency of the situation is expressed multiple times, the moments that detoured with humor felt like a real abrupt halt. After those brief instances however, the movie always followed up with a line of dialogue or fascinating acting choice that pulled me right back in. 

    Women Talking is the complete package. One of the most poignant films I've seen recently and also one of the most impressively subtle. All of the elements of filmmaking work in tandem together in ways that few other films have this year. Sarah Polley has proven that she is a directorial force to watch out for.

Women Talking: 4/5, 8/10, B+
    

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