by Josh Sewell
Women Talking
(Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content including sexual assault, bloody images, and some strong language. Opens in select theaters on January 13.)
Any time actress-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley has a new project, it’s worth paying attention to. From heartbreaking relationship dramas like Away from Her and Take This Waltz to Stories We Tell (the shockingly honest documentary she made about her own family), Polley has a keen eye for compelling, authentic narratives.
Her latest work is no exception. Women Talking, based on the best-selling novel by Miriam Toews, isn’t an easy watch, but it never stops being fascinating and emotionally resonant. A lot of that is because of the phenomenal actresses at the center of the film. But it’s also because Polley’s assured direction keeps the story engaging when it’s precisely what the title promises: a community of women talking to each other in a barn for two hours.
The titular characters (played by Rooney Mara, Judith Ivey, Claire Foy, Sheila McCarthy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, and several other talented performers) are part of an isolated religious community – some would call it a cult – who come together to discuss their future following a series of traumatic attacks. The men of the community, who control the women so entirely that they don’t even know how to read or write, have given them two days to forgive their attackers or they’ll be exiled from the only home they’ve ever known.
According to their religious beliefs, being shunned from the community also means being banned from heaven, so the women meet to determine their next steps. As they see it, they have three choices: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. By the end of the film, audiences will learn what they decide and why.
Because of the limited sets and extended scenes, Women Talking often feels more like a play than a film. However, the momentum of the conversations and Polley’s commitment to taking each character’s viewpoint seriously means I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with various arguments, even when they contradicted one another. The dialogue never feels stilted and the constant movement of the characters keeps scenes from feeling to sluggish or stale.
While every performer is excellent, the big standouts are Mara, Foy and McCarthy, as well as Ben Whishaw, as the one man in the community women trust enough to record the minutes for their meetings. Although Women Talking is only opening in limited release this weekend, I expect it will gradually expand to more theaters once Oscar nominations are announced in a couple of weeks. This one has the potential to be a big player in the race.
Grade: A-
M3GAN
(Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference. Now playing in theaters.)
I’m so glad the revolving wheel of pop culture has come back around to fun horror movies. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the craft and quality in “elevated” horror flicks like Ari Aster’s Hereditary or David Bruckner’s The Night House, but I can’t really say I enjoyed watching them.
Over the last couple of years, however, we’ve gotten some truly bonkers scary movies like James Wan’s Malignant and Zach Cregger’s Barbarian that understand many viewers like to scream and laugh in equal measure.
In that respect, screenwriter Akela Cooper is one of the current masters of horror. She helped make the aforementioned Malignant one of 2021’s biggest surprises and, after last weekend, she can boast about launching a new franchise with the evil doll flick M3GAN.
When brilliant toy engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) suddenly becomes the guardian of her orphaned 8-year-old niece Cady (Violet McGraw), she doesn’t know how to be a parent or relate to kids on a personal level. As such, Gemma decides to get Cady’s help testing her latest invention: the Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN for short.
Her creation is the pinnacle of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll programmed to immediately bond with its kid owner so it can become best friend, teacher, playmate and protector. Although Gemma pairs Cady and M3GAN with good intentions, the decision leads to deadly consequences.
M3GAN is ridiculous, silly fun. It leans more toward dark comedy than horror, but it’s still got some unsettling moments. Although a bit derivative, it’s a great entry point into horror for young teens – scary enough to make them feel brave for watching it, but not so terrifying that it’ll give them nightmares. The PG-13 rating feels appropriate: there’s a little bit of bad language and some bloody kills, but nothing too graphic.
It’s essentially Child’s Play for the social media era, if Chucky looked like Regina George from Mean Girls. Most viewers will see every plot development coming a mile away, but Cooper’s screenplay anticipates that. The fun is seeing how the movie will either subvert your expectations or give you exactly what you predict in a way that’s still a little surprising.
Thanks to its success at the box office last weekend, the movie is already turning a profit, so it’s no wonder they’ve already announced a sequel. The story of M3GAN has plenty of creative juice left in it, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Cooper does with the character next. The only drawback is the title’s creative spelling kills the obvious name for a third entry.
Grade: B
(Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content including sexual assault, bloody images, and some strong language. Opens in select theaters on January 13.)
Any time actress-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley has a new project, it’s worth paying attention to. From heartbreaking relationship dramas like Away from Her and Take This Waltz to Stories We Tell (the shockingly honest documentary she made about her own family), Polley has a keen eye for compelling, authentic narratives.
Her latest work is no exception. Women Talking, based on the best-selling novel by Miriam Toews, isn’t an easy watch, but it never stops being fascinating and emotionally resonant. A lot of that is because of the phenomenal actresses at the center of the film. But it’s also because Polley’s assured direction keeps the story engaging when it’s precisely what the title promises: a community of women talking to each other in a barn for two hours.
The titular characters (played by Rooney Mara, Judith Ivey, Claire Foy, Sheila McCarthy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, and several other talented performers) are part of an isolated religious community – some would call it a cult – who come together to discuss their future following a series of traumatic attacks. The men of the community, who control the women so entirely that they don’t even know how to read or write, have given them two days to forgive their attackers or they’ll be exiled from the only home they’ve ever known.
According to their religious beliefs, being shunned from the community also means being banned from heaven, so the women meet to determine their next steps. As they see it, they have three choices: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. By the end of the film, audiences will learn what they decide and why.
Because of the limited sets and extended scenes, Women Talking often feels more like a play than a film. However, the momentum of the conversations and Polley’s commitment to taking each character’s viewpoint seriously means I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with various arguments, even when they contradicted one another. The dialogue never feels stilted and the constant movement of the characters keeps scenes from feeling to sluggish or stale.
While every performer is excellent, the big standouts are Mara, Foy and McCarthy, as well as Ben Whishaw, as the one man in the community women trust enough to record the minutes for their meetings. Although Women Talking is only opening in limited release this weekend, I expect it will gradually expand to more theaters once Oscar nominations are announced in a couple of weeks. This one has the potential to be a big player in the race.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference. Now playing in theaters.)
I’m so glad the revolving wheel of pop culture has come back around to fun horror movies. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the craft and quality in “elevated” horror flicks like Ari Aster’s Hereditary or David Bruckner’s The Night House, but I can’t really say I enjoyed watching them.
Over the last couple of years, however, we’ve gotten some truly bonkers scary movies like James Wan’s Malignant and Zach Cregger’s Barbarian that understand many viewers like to scream and laugh in equal measure.
In that respect, screenwriter Akela Cooper is one of the current masters of horror. She helped make the aforementioned Malignant one of 2021’s biggest surprises and, after last weekend, she can boast about launching a new franchise with the evil doll flick M3GAN.
When brilliant toy engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) suddenly becomes the guardian of her orphaned 8-year-old niece Cady (Violet McGraw), she doesn’t know how to be a parent or relate to kids on a personal level. As such, Gemma decides to get Cady’s help testing her latest invention: the Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN for short.
Her creation is the pinnacle of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll programmed to immediately bond with its kid owner so it can become best friend, teacher, playmate and protector. Although Gemma pairs Cady and M3GAN with good intentions, the decision leads to deadly consequences.
M3GAN is ridiculous, silly fun. It leans more toward dark comedy than horror, but it’s still got some unsettling moments. Although a bit derivative, it’s a great entry point into horror for young teens – scary enough to make them feel brave for watching it, but not so terrifying that it’ll give them nightmares. The PG-13 rating feels appropriate: there’s a little bit of bad language and some bloody kills, but nothing too graphic.
It’s essentially Child’s Play for the social media era, if Chucky looked like Regina George from Mean Girls. Most viewers will see every plot development coming a mile away, but Cooper’s screenplay anticipates that. The fun is seeing how the movie will either subvert your expectations or give you exactly what you predict in a way that’s still a little surprising.
Thanks to its success at the box office last weekend, the movie is already turning a profit, so it’s no wonder they’ve already announced a sequel. The story of M3GAN has plenty of creative juice left in it, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Cooper does with the character next. The only drawback is the title’s creative spelling kills the obvious name for a third entry.
Grade: B
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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