The Golden Globes are approaching and the nominated films have not disappointed the public or the critics, in this case, a film that is nominated for awards and has also been critically acclaimed is Women Talking which came out on December 23rd. The film directed by Sarah Polley is based on a novel of the same name. These are the reasons why you should watch Women Talking.
What is the film about?
Women in an isolated religious colony struggle to reconcile with their faith after a series of sexual assaults. The film is based on the 2018 novel “Women Talking” by Miriam Toews and is inspired by real events that occurred at the Manitoba Colony in Bolivia. In the novel, the story follows eight Mennonite women who conduct a secret meeting in a hayloft to discuss their options after learning they have been repeatedly drugged and raped by men in their colony.
The cast
- Rooney Mara as Ona
- Claire Foy as Salome
- Jessie Buckley as Mariche
- Judith Ivey as Agata
- Ben Whishaw as August Epp
- Frances McDormand as “Scarface” Janz
- Sheila McCarthy as Greta
- Michelle McLeod as Mejal
- Kate Hallett as Autje
- Liv McNeil as Nietje
- Emily Mitchell as Miep
- Kira Guloien as Anna
- Shayla Brown as Helena
- August Winter as Nettie/Melvin
From all of these stars, we must highlight Claire Foy who previously had the role of Queen Elizabeth II on the Netflix original series The Crown, she was the main character in seasons one and two. Thanks to this role she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama series.
Who is Sarah Polley?
Polley is a Canadian actress, writer, director, producer, and political activist. She made her feature film directional debut with Away from Her (2006), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She has also directed films like Dawn of the Dead (2004), Splice (2009), Take This Waltz (2011), and Stories We Tell (2012), among others.
Women Talking’s critical reception
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 90% based on 127 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes critic consensus says “While Women Talking sometimes forsakes entertaining drama in favor of simply getting its points across, its message is valuable and effectively delivered”. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 81 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.
Women Talking has been nominated several times and has won some of these accolades. According to the critics, it is a drama movie that is worth watching.
Andrea Rich