Review
Woman Talking (Drama) [Based on Novel] (2022)
Director: Sarah Polley
Writer: Sarah Polley, Miriam Toews (Based on Novel by)
Stars: Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw
Within a colony of Mennonite women, a disgraceful event takes place. Debating their plans and subsequent future after this incident, several within the community come together to decide on their ultimate choice.
Inspired by actual events at the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia, Sarah Polley’s ‘’Woman Talking’’ is based on the novel by Miriam Toews describing a similar event, yet fictional. A gripping tale mainly consisting of exactly… Woman talking, making a life-changing decision to change their path and keeping each other safe. It was filmed in Toronto, Canada, and produced by Orion Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, and Hear/Say Productions, while United Artists Releasing distributed it.
After several women and girls within an isolated Mennonite colony discern they’ve been subdued by being tranquilised and coincidingly sexually assaulted–a decision is debated on whether to do nothing, stay and fight or leave the colony.
To portray a narrative that chiefly consists of conversation or debate can be a challenging task. However, it’s what filmmaker Sarah Polley has decided to do, an intricate discussion in response to a harmful event implying their home is no longer safe.
From a traumatic scenario inspired by factual events, ‘’Woman Talking’’ provides a hauntingly desaturated picture reflecting the vulnerability yet also the strength these women have fending for themselves and coming to a conclusion to provide themselves with the safety they seek and deserve. Through the isolated depiction, mostly consisting of discourse much is actually told in a sense, ‘’Woman Talking’’ comes closest to a theatre play yet cinematically shot and provided with some of the most stellar female performers.
Due to its limited nature, this nevertheless lengthy debate stands as an intellectual exercise portrayed with divided debate, keenly achieved by the excellent Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, and Judith Ivey, with Ben Whishaw providing the only prominent male role. While bearing minor moments, such as flashbacks to the unfortunate events themselves or making aware that not each woman of the community was interested in the deliberation, the true value lies within the debate, a severe endeavour lightened by minor trimmings of humour, if anything, to keep their minds sharp. There are some excellent dialogue segments, such as discussing if the boys can join them, partially as protection. There’s an impression of the acting talent provided with the freedom to deliver the lines as they see fittest; pure skill combined with such observations create a still film that quakes within moral debate and ethics.
In itself, Polley’s work, inspired by Toews, seems to be an artistic experiment. In execution, it is an inventive and shining example of re-imagining a familiar form of storytelling within a method where such engaged and focused pure dialogue is perhaps frowned upon.
Verdict
Anything but pointless.
8,5
