Forming the very marrow of Sarah Polley s quietly lacerating new drama "Women Talking" are the bold and timely themes of female survival and solidarity. That alone is enough for an engrossing story. But part of what makes Polley s film adaptation of Miriam Toews 2018 novel so potent are the many other thematic threads that run throughout the movie. Threads that speak to the female experience in a variety of other ways. Altogether it s an intense, insightful and sobering experience packed with more than a few surprises.