Don't be fooled by its star-studded, almost all-female cast. Women Talking may have lost to Everything, Everywhere, All at Once at the 95th Academy Awards, but it doesn't mean that this is not a good film.
As a matter of fact, Women Talking's story is inspired by the Bolivian gas-facilitated rapes and how the women in their village decided that there's a limit to inhumanity.
Plot Overview
A group of women in a small unnamed colony gather in a barn house and discuss how the men utilized the livestock tranquilizer to subdue and rape them. The attackers have been arrested in a nearby city. Other men from their colony leave for two days to oversee the bail. The women need to decide whether to leave, stay and fight, or stay and do nothing.
The voting is handled by August, a school teacher who also records the meetings because none of the women knew how to write. The voting results are tied between staying and fighting and leaving. The women band again to come up with the best decision. One of them, Scarface Janz, leaves the meeting because she cannot leave the community. One of the other remaining men, Melvin, a transgender person, was severely traumatized after being raped. He does not speak except to children. He becomes their warning guide in case someone intervenes with the women.
Some of the women are adamant about staying, and if they win the fight, they vow to change the community's rules. The others wanted to leave because of the bad memories they experienced. They instructed August to create a document stating each decision's pros and cons.
Review
Women Talking is a harrowing part of history that was poorly documented and seldom talked about but deserved to be heard.
Women Talking is spearheaded by its star-studded cast that features the talents of Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand, and many more. Sarah Polley directed the film.
The movie didn't start with a background of what's happening inside the small Mennonite community. It begins right away with the topic of the women discussing their experiences and their subsequent decisions. You only get some of their stories through flashbacks and the physical manifestations throughout their bodies. I like how they went straight to the narrative without adequately explaining it because it gave the audience time to think about it.
The magnificent acting performances and dynamic of the cast make it relatable. I didn't expect much about this film, to be honest, but it gave me a sense of understanding about some parts of our history that are not told or discussed.
A good 4 out of 5 stars.
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