Women Talking: An Introspective Look At Generational Abuse

There has been a rise lately for movies that are allegorical with the intent to tell a story that is applicable to humanity while still staying within the realm of fiction. Earlier in 2022, The Banshees of Inisherin came out and told a universal story of aging, mortality, and legacy wrapped in an almost fairy tale-like story with missing limbs and a donkey. Women Talking is a lot closer to reality, with a story that could be pulled directly from the headlines, however it still takes this specific story and applies it universally in an interesting way.

Women Talking takes place in 2010 in an unnamed Mennonite colony where for years the women have been sedated and sexually assaulted. When they questioned the men of the colony about what was going on, the men would say they either imagined what they experienced or it came at the hands of Satan. One day, one of the men who was committing these heinous acts was caught and he gave the rest up leading the women to come together and vote on whether they should do nothing, stay and fight, or leave the colony. When an impasse is reached, a small delegation is selected consisting of Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Claire Foy (First Man), Jessie Buckley (Men), Sheila McCarthy (The Day After Tomorrow) and Judith Ivey (New Amsterdam).

This is another example of a movie that makes the case for there being an acting category for a performance by an ensemble cast. Every actor involved does an excellent job in their roles, however because the cast is so large that, while Rooney Mara stands up as the lead actress, every other member of the cast makes a strong case for Best Supporting Actress. It is less an issue with the movie and more an institutional issue with the Academy Awards, however it is worth noting.

If there is an issue to be had with the movie, it would be that some of the character’s dialogue does not feel like it was written for a specific character in mind. The general rule of thumb for a script, a reader should be able to lift a line without attributing it to a specific character and be able to tell who the character speaking the line is. Obviously a few of the people in the movie are hardline in defense of the solution they are pulling for, but outside of that the characters all have very similar speech patterns. It does make a little sense for the context of who the characters are and the circumstances of where they live, however the word usage in these situations does not match what life they are living.

It is no surprise that Women Talking received the nominations it did at this year’s Academy Awards. The movie does an excellent job of tackling real world issues through an allegorical lens that can make it feel timeless. It is worth a watch, even if one does wait for streaming to watch at home. That said, the distraction-free environment of a movie theater will probably make for the most impactful viewing experience.

Final Rating: 9/10