Women Talking(2022)

Women Talking provides a wonderful tapestry of characters with which the story can approach the topic of debate at the center of the film. Thankfully, the performances manage to elevate the characters personalities beyond being mouthpieces for talking points. These characters feel authentically burdened by both the trauma of their shared experiences and their struggle to find a path towards healing.

It all mostly works for me. The debates are definitely the high point, and something I wish the filmmaker had been more committed to. The the film does a great job of setting up the stakes of the decision at hand, and often the conversations being had will leave you captivated. But just as things are starting to heat up, the film will cut away to reveal other aspects of their lives, and the story starts to loose its sense of urgency. Part of me wishes the camera was locked inside the room with them. That the audience, like these women, have nothing more important going on than the debate happening inside the four walls of this barn.

There is something interesting about the idea that these women don’t have the luxury of putting everything else on hold to focus on something as important as their own livelihood. That even in their most desperate moments, their minds are still focused on the work that needs to be done. It’s a strong point to make, but I ultimately feel like it distracts more than it helps.

The film provides a wonderful tapestry of characters with which the story can approach the topic of the debate. Thankfully, the performances manage to elevate the characters personalities beyond being mouthpieces for talking points. These characters feel authentically burdened by both the trauma of their shared experiences and their struggle to find a path towards healing.

The film mostly works for me. The debates are definitely the films high point, and something I wish the film had been more committed to. The film does a great job of setting up the stakes of their decision, and often the conversations being had will leave you captivated. But just as things are starting to heat up, the film will cut away to reveal other aspects of their lives, and the film starts to loose its sense of urgency. Part of me wishes the camera was locked inside the room with them. That the audience, like these women, have nothing more important going on than the debate happening inside the four walls of this barn.

There is something interesting about the idea that these women don’t have the luxury of putting everything else on hold to focus on something as important as their own livelihood. That even in their most desperate moments, their minds are still focused on the work that needs to be done. It’s a strong point to make, but I ultimately feel like it distracts more than it helps.