It will only take a few minutes into the film to determine whether it's for you or not. The static format is more representative of a stage play than a movie, and it wouldn't surprise me if it were to be adapted as such. Though the plight of the women in this community is appallingly dismal, there's also the apparent lack of a palpable threat, as their entire afternoon/evening is spent away from the brutal and violent men who keep them captive. The angst filled dialog between the women center on which of three choices they must collectively make, balancing their decision against the tenets of their religious faith, which seem to suggest they should shoulder their burden in the best way possible. I found the presence of the lone male in the cast to be somewhat curious. August (Ben Whishaw) was sympathetic to the womens' plight, and it would have felt proper if he left with them to help with the mature upbringing of the young boys in a newfound community. Ironically, of all the arguments made by the women before arriving at a consensus, the best one that was put forth came from the young girl Autje (Kate Hallett), who provided the most compelling statement for them to abandon their present circumstance - "We are leaving because we cannot stay".
Review of Women Talking
