Some movies are not really easy and enjoyable to watch. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth paying attention to or watching. now “Women speakIt is definitely one of these films. This cinematic work is a bit heavy and slow, but due to the quality of the way it deals with its subject, it remains a compelling and strong film to watch. Continue with the film review Women Talking Be with Vijayato.
Sara Poli, as the director of this movie, is a person who entered the world of art through acting. Maybe the older audience will remember Sarah Polley as Sarah Stanley in the nostalgic series “A road to Onley(known in Iran as “Tales of the Island”). But he has also played the main role in other works such as the zombie-oriented film “Dawn of the Dead” directed by Zack Snyder. Sara Polly took a break from acting in 2006 and released her first film titled “Away from Her” as a director. He is now back to adventure in the picture world by making his third feature film.
In her latest film, Sarah Polley takes a bold and formalistic approach to this small drama about a group of women who are sexually abused by the men of their isolated community. So this group of women agree that they must make a life-changing decision: run away, stay and fight, or do nothing. “Women Talk” is based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. Both the book and the film were inspired by a specific, isolated, real-life colony where women and girls were sedated with sedatives, raped while unconscious, and then told it was the work of the devil. Or they are crazy.
“Women Talk,” which received Oscar nominations for best picture and adapted screenplay, is one of those movies that, on paper, has neither a high chance of selling well, nor attracting a mainstream audience. but why? Because this work is a real drama about a group of women talking in a haystack around their farm. These women are people who talk to each other again after enduring the most horrific experience at the hands of men, and they talk and talk until the end of the film. This approach undoubtedly seems hardly cinematic and even entertaining.
But the same talk of a group of women together, written and directed by Sara Polly, has become attractive, captivating, powerful and as watchable as a movie. Much has been said about the best films of the year not attracting the audiences they deserve; This movie is one of these works. Undoubtedly, “Women Speak” is not what you would call a general audience pleaser, but in its own right, it is a film with a message that is worth your time.
The premise of this film includes a feminist approach to the formula of the Me-Ham or Me-To movement: women living in a Mennonite community (Mennonites are ultra-religious and shun modernity) wake up in the morning with the feeling that something happened while they were sleeping. Something terrible has happened, and the physical evidence seems to confirm it. They are wounded, bruised and bloody.
But before you say that feminist types these days are going to any imaginable way to make men look bad, know that something similar to this horrible thing actually happened in such a society in Bolivia and not in the past years and centuries or Something like that, but between 2005 and 2009. In those years, seven people were eventually tried and imprisoned for raping more than 100 women. It’s based on a novel by Miriam Toews, a Canadian who grew up Mennonite, and it’s what Sarah Polley turned into a movie.
First of all, I must say that this sexual revolution in the West and of course the current version of it sent to the East of the world is the result of one thing; And that is nothing but the capitalist system of the West, which is a patriarchal system. And unfortunately, this patriarchal system has completely viewed women as commodities and gender. The root of this view is that in the capitalist system, capital is higher than humanity; And people are placed at the service of capital and their strange desires. Therefore, in the heart of this view, men have priority over women; Because the primacy of capital over human is more true for men
With these comments, you should know: “Women Talking” is grim but beautifully executed, surprisingly funny in places, and also hopeful. Set in the present day in an unnamed location, the film is shot in desaturated colors that not only give you the feeling of a closed society, but also the whitewashed nature of life over which women have no control. It has to be accepted that this movie goes straight ahead with all its special words, or simply put, it is well produced. On the other hand, the title doesn’t lie: this is a movie where the women mostly talk to each other. At first glance, this probably won’t sound interesting to many, but the film manages to build and maintain some very interesting things.
This is also mainly due to speed. Despite the fact that there isn’t really much variety in the story, it often manages to shift focus a bit every now and then, so the film never feels like it’s sticking to one theme for too long. It might also be fair to say that some things are never fully developed because of this, but I can’t say I’m unhappy with this approach as it makes the story a little easier to digest.
Directed by Sarah Polley, this could easily have been a film that constantly bombards you with heavy themes. But the restraint the film shows with this is pleasant, and certain elements of the story become much stronger by being a little more subtle or even not showing certain points. This means that the filmmaker knows how to execute his themes well, although you can still debate whether or not this was the best story for his themes. but why? Because oppression of women occurs in different ways, including in modern times and our society. But since things are a bit more extreme in this movie, I wonder if the message will be as good and strong for everyone.
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to see the film as a film that wants to convey messages. Certainly, the film, aided by its good camerawork, creates an oppressive atmosphere that often comes from unease and fear. This feeling is more palpable with the excellent acting of the actors, who convey the story strongly and believably. However, one problem remains that many of the dialogues feel more like they belong in a play than a movie.
These dialogues and discourses are not words and poems that the average person would say to another person in their daily life in real life, but at the same time I can’t really say that this issue detracts from the film as a whole. But luckily, it’s not all about the message, it’s about how you say it. And here Sarah Polley succeeds with a precise direction that turns theatricality into cinema, bringing out the secrets of her chest and showing us characters who reveal different layers of reaction to abuse.
Sarah Polley turns what could have been a sterile discussion into a Twelve Angry Men-like discussion; Of course, with the difference that in this movie we see “Eight Ruthless Women” in front of us, that being cruel is not a bad definition for them at first glance. But as I told you at the beginning, these words are very good ideas and are interwoven in an attractive way, but is it so necessary to express these points in the socio-political atmosphere of 2023?! In my opinion, no.
Politics is a part of life as well as cinema, and to deny it is to deny a fundamental aspect of human existence. But believe me, the hashtag or social and political trending is not a direct focus on cinema. Because this action takes us away from the true concept of cinema. In a world that increasingly rejects nuance, the film asks whether one can forgive one’s transgressor, whether forced forgiveness is really forgiveness, or whether it can be mistaken for permission.
These are tough and necessary questions that we could have answered without hesitation not long ago. But in 2023, they will only create a bitter debate in the heart of Twitter with no output. But in the end it must be said, what stands out is that the movie is very well made. Such works are not always easy to watch, but this one is a film that is ultimately worth watching.
