If we’ve learned, or been reminded of, anything from recent Oscar races where: The King’s Speech defeated The social network, Green Book defeated Rome and CODA defeated The power of the dogit’s that the taste of Academy members is completely separate from the taste of critics – and that Academy members actually tend to double down on their feelings about a movie when they’re told they’re not “getting” something that critics “get” ” got.”
I bring this up because the early critical responses to Sarah Polley‘s women talkwhich had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival’s Palm Theater on Friday night after a tribute to Polley, and which UAR will release on December 2, were utterly glowing – but my Spidey sense, honed by many years of studying and covering the Academy , is that this movie will be a tough sell to Oscar voters.
Based on Miriam Toews‘ novel from 2018, that was inspired by a true story of men drugging and raping women in a Mennonite colony, the 104 minute drama centers on the deliberations of nine women from three families who were chosen to sever a bond and set the way forward for all of the women in the colony after the men leave to try to save a man who was caught in the act. They have about 48 hours to make a decision.
I think Polley is a tremendously gifted filmmaker (see 2007’s away from her and 2012 Stories we tell), but it’s not my job to review movies; you can read Sheri Linden’s rave reviews on women talk here. My job is to figure out how the Academy – which, I should say, is 66 percent male – is going to react to a movie. In this case, the movie is titled women talk; consists almost entirely of talking women, with little action outside the dark hayloft in which they gather; and even the two youngest people in the hayloft broadcasting, with one asking, “Why are you making it so complicated?!” and the other opinion, “This is all very, very boring.”
Everyone who sees women talk, from those who love it to those who don’t, seem to recognize three things: (1) violence against women is a hugely important topic that is sadly both timeless and topical; (2) the ensemble of actresses at the center of the film — including Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey and Frances McDormand (McDormand is also a producer, in addition to two-time Oscar winner for best picture) Dede Gardner from Plan B) — being wonderfully gifted and making as many of their parts as anyone could; and (3) the film feels like a recorded play (although, in fairness, so did 1957) 12 angry menwhich ended with the nominations for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay).
Again, all this is not meant to rain on the parade of those who love women talk. It’s just to warn that “festival fever” for a movie doesn’t always end up at the Oscars. Indeed, on Telluride, just a year ago, many were already crowning Cyrano, come on, come on and Red Rocket as Oscar front-runners — but between the three, they ended up with a single nomination.
