Women Talking (2022)

The critic calls it a brilliant, rich drama and worthy Best Picture contender, singling out the distinct, knotty personalities of the starry ensemble (including lesser-known talents) and the surprising humor and insouciance amid the heavy subject matter.

The critic praises Polley's assured return as director and the formidable ensemble's nuanced performances in this intense, dialogue-driven chamber piece set in a barn. It highlights how the film wrestles hope and emotional depth from intergenerational trauma without showing the violence itself.

Polley achieves something extraordinary with a film mostly limited to characters in conversation, achieving spry, propulsive direction that flows through the rage with possibility, laughter and reminders of the crimes. The women are portrayed as more than victims.

A moving adaptation in which a group of women in a remote Mennonite colony meet in secret to decide their future.

Sarah Polley’s focused, forceful drama about women reeling from sexual abuse delves deeply into mixed emotions on faith and forgiveness, providing an acting showcase without easy catharsis.

The film is a gripping prison-break story in which the women verbally extract themselves from the patriarchy through nuanced, contemplative talk in a barn setting. It is beautifully performed despite a sometimes morose colour palette.

The film offers a powerful exploration of anger, endurance and forgiveness through strong performances from Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy in a sombre, theatrical drama about female autonomy.

The critic commends the film's choral approach to the feminist struggle and nuanced ensemble performances depicting varied responses to patriarchal oppression. It notes some drawbacks in integrating certain characters but finds the human connections effective.

The review finds the script sublime and powerful but the film only very good, as the direction and filming do not fully do justice to the text or amplify its impact. It highlights the women's coming to consciousness through language as the core drama but notes conventional images and performances.

Sarah Polley’s tale of female empowerment features a grand cast and bold approach to a traumatic true story, with a stellar ensemble, but it is a sombre and muted affair.

The critic finds the film powerful, sensitive, and well-acted with poignant dialogue on solidarity and dissent, but singles out its bafflingly ugly, sludgy visuals and occasional weightiness as major drawbacks that undermine its impact.

The critic finds the film formulaic and didactic, shackled by its own sanctimonious script and insipid cinematography with an unreal patina, though Polley’s personal investment in the material is genuine.

The critic calls the ensemble acting the year's best and praises Polley's brilliant distillation of the novel into an artful, incisive conversation among the women. It singles out the rich, metaphor-filled dialogue and spiritual weight of the women's deliberations.

Polley’s inventive adaptation boasts wonderfully nuanced performances from the female ensemble and a vibrant, engaging tone with acerbic humour. The real action lies in the knotty central philosophical argument among the women deciding their future.

The critic praises Polley's smart, compassionate film for centering the women's powerful discussions on justice, faith, and self-liberation as revolutionary acts. It highlights the strong ensemble and thoughtful exploration of patriarchal constraints.

The critic praises Sarah Polley's adaptation as a timely political parable featuring a stellar ensemble cast. The film compels viewers to think about the women's plight while inviting enjoyment of their company and conversations.

Polley’s bold adaptation of the real-life atrocity is buoyed by a knockout cast including commanding turns from Foy, Mara and Buckley. The heavy material is handled with sensitivity, focusing on debate rather than graphic violence.

The review describes Polley's film as a tough, uncompromising drama that assembles trauma survivors in a hayloft for urgent discussion, marking it as unlike any other film. It notes the powerful act of nonviolent protest but is a festival capsule from Telluride.

Polley crafts a mesmerizing and haunting adaptation focused on a group of women deciding their response to abuse in their community. The critic praises the exceptional ensemble cast, especially Claire Foy, and the restrained score as highlights of one of the year's best films.

The critic praises the film as an empowering testament to female resilience and collective decision-making in the face of trauma. They single out the strong ensemble performances, particularly those of Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley, for bringing depth to the dialogue-heavy story.

The critic highlights the stellar ensemble cast led by Jessie Buckley and notes how Polley keeps the talky, confined drama engaging through strong performances and occasional cinematic flourishes. They single out Ben Whishaw's supporting turn as a standout amid the dense thematic discussions.

The critic praises the exquisite performances from the stellar ensemble cast, particularly Jessie Buckley’s tightly coiled restraint and Claire Foy’s bone-deep rage, and highlights Polley’s empathetic filmmaking that allows the film to ask complex questions about sexual violence and tolerance.

The critic praises Sarah Polley’s immaculately made, intellectually adventurous and politically incisive drama about women in a secluded religious community debating their future after trauma. He highlights the superb female ensemble and the film’s beguiling, elusive tone that blends the frisky with the dead serious.