Deadline is reporting that Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” has had its release date moved from December 2nd to December 23rd. No doubt to avoid “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
I’m still not quite sure if AMPAS voters will be won over by Polley’s “Women Talking.” Of all the major contenders that pundits keep mentioning this awards season, it’s this film, I suspect, that might miss the cut as far as Best Picture goes.
I refuse to believe “Women Talking” is a “lock” for BP. As far as I can tell the actual near-locks are “The Fabelmans,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” and “TÁR.”
“Women Talking” is coming off a triumphant world premiere at Telluride, and a good showing at TIFF, but I’m telling you right now, this is not a movie that will universally impress. The film surely still has its fair share of admirers, but I raised the alarm bells on this overpraised film in September, when I caught a press screening of it.
I wrote, “[it’s] a miserablist tale with no nuance or sophistication. It all amounts to one large stagey screed on female empowerment. I can dig this kind of movie, if done right. Sadly, “Women Talking” is not done right.”
THR’s Scott Feinberg even threw some cold water at its celebrated Telluride reception. He said it would be a hard sell for Academy voters, 66% of which are men. Feinberg wasn’t a fan of the film and was implying the praise it was getting might be due to “festival fever.”