An adaptation of Miriam Toews’s internationally bestselling novel of the same name and inspired by true events, the “powerful” (Todd McCarthy, Deadline) and “extraordinarily vital” (Baz Bamigboye, Deadline) film follows the women of an isolated religious community who grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith.
For in-depth thoughts on Women Talking, please see my colleague Kelly Kantrowitz’s review from its original TIFF debut here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings Women Talking to Blu-Ray with a sterling 1080p video presentation. The film employs a very distinct desaturated color palette which deftly complements the atmosphere surrounding this heavy, vital discussion. While not the most visually dazzling, the transfer reveals a grand amount of detail present in close-ups, especially when it comes to the texture of costumes and interior of the barn. This transfer provides a terrific amount of depth on display, especially in any interior location. The image is clean and absent of compression artifacts. The black levels never come close to faltering with nothing in the way of crush or digital noise. Universal has given this one a worthy presentation.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this reserved tale beautifully. The title of the film gives away what drives the narrative, but there is an entire world of environmental sounds which engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way. The enveloping score radiates from the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way that works in tandem with the narrative. When the characters are walking through the fields there are some really striking ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue is the focal point of the film, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being stepped on by any competing sounds. The various sound effects provide an extremely subtle engagement to the low end of the track which adds some texture. This audio track brings this movie to life exactly as it needs to. There are English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Women Talking is one of the best films to come out in the last thanks to its considered yet fearless tackling of sensitive subject matter. Sarah Polley captures every scene with just the right level of intimacy as we get a glimpse into these complex discussions where the stakes could not be higher. Every performer is bringing their A-game as they both bounce off one another and find individual moments to shine. This film is something special. Universal Pictures has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a great A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. This is an easy recommendation for those looking for transcendent filmmaking. Recommended
Women Talking is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
