women talking

Women Talking

Directed by Sarah Polley
U.S. | 2022 | Narrative
104 minutes | English

Lit up by radiant, fierce performances by Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, this is a true masterpiece by Canadian director/actor Sarah Polley. This fearless adaptation of Miriam Toews' acclaimed novel is about a cloistered world where women struggle to search for grace during an epidemic of abuse. Reeling from multiple counts of sexual abuse, newly uncovered within their Mennonite colony, a group of women gather in a hayloft to discuss how to respond. While the men are away, the women narrow their options down to three: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. Some fear that any act of defiance will jeopardize their entry into heaven, while others believe they cannot survive without husbands and sons. Some are willing to take any measures to escape the terror of their domestic lives and insist that "the truth is stronger than the rules." Polley's fearless direction ushers us through a journey of rage, grief, wisdom, and hope through to a triumphant, most gratifying conclusion.