When I made my best movies of the year list I noted that I hadn’t seen Women Talking and would report back.
Well. I have seen it. And it is profound.
Women Talking is a fictional account of the aftermath of the very real Mennonite rapes in a Bolivian community in the early 2000s. Miriam Toews, the author of the book the film is based on, was a Mennonite herself and saw how easily she could have been one of these women. So she wrote a bestselling book that became an extraordinary movie.
The film is about what the women in the community decide to do after the rapes. Do they stay and forgive, fight, or leave? And that’s it. It’s just them talking. And it is one of the most riveting and engaging films I have ever seen. I found myself thinking “I love these women” more than once. They were kind, forgiving, righteously angry, caring, humorous, humorless, gentle, and fierce all at once. If I knew nothing about the Mennonites and I met these women I would consider joining. If they had TV.
This year I am on my own journey to slow down, look within, harness more of my feminine energy, and this film was a remarkable look at women who use their gentle, quiet power to confront the greatest possible horrors and an unimaginably difficult decision.
I can’t recommend it enough, and lucky for you it should be in a nearby theatre with all of the rest of the Best Picture nominees. It’s definitely worth a watch.
Watch:
Poker Face (Peacock)- It’s Natasha Lyonne. You won’t be disappointed.
Gunther’s Millions (Netflix)- I will never be convinced that this isn’t a mockumentary.
Break Point (Netflix)- Even if you’re not into tennis you will find this documentary fascinating. But also, you should be into tennis.
Listen:
Skyline Drive (podcast)- A guy looks into astrology only he’s not really looking into astrology but he learns about astrology.
Harry’s House (album)- A year ago I couldn’t have picked Harry Styles out of a lineup. Now I could if he was wearing one of those sparkly jumpsuits. But I like his music, and I don’t care what anyone says, there is no reason he shouldn’t have won Album of the Year for an album that includes a song called Music For A Sushi Restaurant that is an actual jam.
The Journal: Hacking The Hackers (podcast)- This episode of The Journal is about how the government is going after the hackers who have held hospitals, pipelines, and elementary schools hostage. Super interesting.
Read:
I want to go to there.
Yeah, I probably should just like more people’s Instagram posts.
They say relationships are the key to happiness but we all know it’s true crime.