Women Talking is am Oscar nominee for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, directed by Sarah Polley. It is a drama that takes a deep dive into the lives of women who are struggling to find their voice in an abusive, religious, isolated, patriarchal society. The film is based on Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel of the same name and was inspired by real-life events that occurred at a Mennonite community in Bolivia called the Manitoba Colony.
Polley’s direction, for the most part, felt true to the book and she helped to tastefully bring out themes around the struggle for women's rights in a society where they are often oppressed and silenced. The film was visually stunning, with beautiful cinematography and a haunting score that perfectly captured the story's disposition.
The performances by Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand were impressive. They all played well off of one another with the dialogue being both powerful and poignant. For me the two who really stood out where by Rooney Mara as Ona and Claire Foy as Salome. Two very different women, Ona more curious, loving and forgiving whereas Salome was a more exacting, protective, and outspoken in her advocacy. Although there could have been more work in the character development, the majority of the group was presented as fully realized and it was easy to connect to their emotions and experiences. My only issue with the casting is that there was is very little diversity. The inspiration for the book and film were taken from a real-life event that happened in Bolivia. This community of Mennonite immigrants were of Mexican and Canadian descent. So, I would have liked to have seen that representation on screen.
Women Talking was so timely in its release. The subject matter brought to light an ongoing issue in our society that is regularly ignored. It was thought-provoking and emotionally gripping; a must-see for anyone who cares about women's rights and the fight for equality.
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