It was the underdog of the selection, yet Women Talking won the prestigious Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. And it's understandable, given how much we loved Sarah Polley 's feature film (creator of the Captives series), which is one of our favorites of 2023. This is your chance to see the film, released in cinemas on March 8.
In Women Talking, the filmmaker presents us with the true story of the women of a hyper-religious community living in seclusion deep in the United States. Their way of life is so archaic that it's easy to believe that the plot takes place in the 19th century, which we did, before we realize with astonishment that it's 2010. The astonishment is even greater when you realize that this is a true story about dozens of women, all sexually abused by the men of the colony, who must decide their future within it.
The result is a much more modern, feminist variation on Sydney Lumet's cult classic 12 Angry Men. Here, the set-up is more or less the same: the most important women in the community get together to discuss, argue and try to convince each other. The dilemma is difficult to resolve, and is the focus of the entire plot: to stay and fight, or to flee so that it never happens again. The rest is really exciting.
From the very first seconds of the film, we know that what's about to unfold before our eyes is highly disturbing. With its grayish, almost colorless photography symbolizing the lives of these women, the film opens with scenes of great suffering. In this almost cult-like colony, the men have all the power, while the women are nothing. It's easy to understand their need to rebel when aggression strikes. "How would you feel if your opinion never counted?" one of the women asks the only man who understands them. And for once, their opinion finally counts, and they do everything they can to defend their point of view.
This is where the film becomes impressive. The women's discussions are of relentless finesse and relevance. The points of view, sometimes contrary, are often terrible, extreme and difficult, but they reflect their suffering to the full. The whole is served by the brilliant performance of a five-star cast: Rooney Mara(Nightmare Alley), Claire Foy(The Crown) and Jessie Buckley(Men) in the lead, as well as Frances McDormand(Nomadland). The director has surrounded herself with some of today's greatest Hollywood actresses.
As a result, Women Talking is a brilliant film that will leave a lasting impression and no doubt provoke a great deal of debate, so painful is its subject matter. An Academy Award could put the spotlight on this difficult film. A static film in which conversation is the central plot element is unlikely to be successful, so we urge you to support this kind of cinema, which is as necessary as it is grandiose.
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Dates and Opening Time
Starts March 8, 2023
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