Monday, March 6, 2023

Women Talking (2022)

Nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay    This was a hard watch.  It's very good, but woof, that subject matter.  Content warning:  domestic violence (off-screen), sexual assault (off-screen but discussed), sexual assault of minors (off-screen but discussed)

A religious community is rocked to its core when a group of men are discovered to be drugging and raping the women and children of the group.  While the men are in the city arranging bail for the accused, the women must decide what they will do:  Nothing, Stay and Fight, or Leave.  The heads of the oldest families gather to discuss their options.  

This is based on a true story that happened in 2010.  

Sarah Polley is an excellent filmmaker and this is a very sensitively shot film that nonetheless doesn't shy away from the violence perpetuated against these women.  The assault is never shown, only the aftermath in flashbacks but it is incredibly effective.  It's not an easy watch but it is very good.  It's one of those Important films that is likely to get dismissed because people won't look past the title.

Stylistically, it did remind me of 12 Angry Men.  It's confined to mostly one location and is moved almost exclusively by dialogue.  Instead of the fate of one man being decided, however, it's the future of an entire community.  If anything was going to upset EEAAO's chances at Best Picture, it would probably be this one.  I don't think it will, there's too much momentum now after the SAG awards, but it should definitely win Adapted Screenplay.  The only other challenger there is Glass Onion, which I loved, but Women Talking is a better film.

It is currently only available in theaters but it should be hitting Hulu in the next week I think.

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