In 2009, eight men in Manitoba Colony, a very conservative Mennonite community in Bolivia were convicted of drugging and raping 100 women in the community. Manitoba author Miriam Toews wrote the book "Women Talking" based on this incident.
In the film adaptation, the men responsible for the attacks have been caught and turned over to the authorities. The men of the community have left to post bail for them. The women have been instructed to forgive them. They are all meeting while the men are away to consider their options because most don't feel they can simply forgive, but in refusing to do so, they face exile. A vote is taken and it's a draw between staying and contesting the men's position and leaving the community, so the women debate which course of action is best.
This is a very well written and acted film. Some very profound ideas are discussed ... the nature of forgiveness, how to maintain faith if the main representatives of your fait are hopelessly corrupt, the importance of feeling heard and felling that your thoughts and feelings matter. The primary cast ... Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy ... all turn in wonderful performances. It's an extremely engaging and dramatic film, especially for one largely grounded in argument and discussion.
It's not a particularly cinematic or visually compelling film, and it has some odd structural issues. That's not a very serious criticism, but it does hold the film back at times. It also is about 15 minutes longer than it should be. Still, it's a film that feels important, especially in the current cultural climate.
In the film adaptation, the men responsible for the attacks have been caught and turned over to the authorities. The men of the community have left to post bail for them. The women have been instructed to forgive them. They are all meeting while the men are away to consider their options because most don't feel they can simply forgive, but in refusing to do so, they face exile. A vote is taken and it's a draw between staying and contesting the men's position and leaving the community, so the women debate which course of action is best.
This is a very well written and acted film. Some very profound ideas are discussed ... the nature of forgiveness, how to maintain faith if the main representatives of your fait are hopelessly corrupt, the importance of feeling heard and felling that your thoughts and feelings matter. The primary cast ... Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy ... all turn in wonderful performances. It's an extremely engaging and dramatic film, especially for one largely grounded in argument and discussion.
It's not a particularly cinematic or visually compelling film, and it has some odd structural issues. That's not a very serious criticism, but it does hold the film back at times. It also is about 15 minutes longer than it should be. Still, it's a film that feels important, especially in the current cultural climate.