Women Talking (2022)

Directed by Sarah Polley. Starring Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Ben Whishaw, Sheila McCarthy, Judith Ivey, Michelle McLeod, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil, Frances McDormand, August Winter. [PG-13]

After learning that the men in their secluded Mennonite colony have been tranquilizing and raping the women, the females of the community hold a meeting to vent their feelings and discuss their options: submit and do nothing, stick around and fight back, or depart en masse. Restrained, austere filmmaking clashes with fervently conflicted philosophies and unleashed emotions, but this impresses a balance of contracting effects instead of tonal schizophrenia; only gradually does it become clear this story takes place in modern day instead of a more openly repressive past, with continued thematic relevance adding a sharper edge to its incensed blade (and no The Village-esque “gotcha” moment in sight). Dense and stagy, but the talky scenes can be intellectually riveting in ways the more open and cinematic “breaks” aren’t, yet the opposite holds true in terms of writer/director Sarah Polley’s guidance, as her ability to adapt and express the material (from Miriam Toews’ same-named book) borders on the masterful, but her close-quarters direction is flawed—the placement of characters in confined spaces can be confusing from one cut to the next, and the camera goes searching when closeups end. The desaturated colors are a suitable if obvious touch. An imperfect but powerful film overall, and it should be noted how much the harrowing revelations of these women’s stories and the cathartic weight of its conclusion are aided by Hildur Guðnadóttir’s sad, plaintive strings. Cast member Frances McDormand co-produced; however, despite being featured prominently in promotional materials, her role is little more than a few brief walk-ons.

77/100