Whenever I see shots of a beautiful part of the world, I think to myself, “How amazing would it be to live there!  It wouldn’t matter what I was doing, so long as I had this incredible landscape to look at and appreciate every day.”  The Irish countryside, as depicted in Banshees, would definitely be one of those places where a person could see themselves living without a care in the world.  Pádraic (Colin Farrell), the anti-hero of the story, certainly fits that description.  He’s a happy-go-lucky sort who spends each day enjoying what life has given him and wanting nothing more.  He cares for the animals on his farm, which he loves very much.  He shares a quaint cottage with his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon), who also loves him.  Every day at 2:00 PM he gathers his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) for a drink and a smoke at the pub.  Until one day Colm refuses to open his door to Pádraic or even acknowledge him.  When the two later cross paths, Colm states that he doesn’t like Pádraic anymore and doesn’t want to be friends with him.

The women in Women Talking live in an isolated colony of Mennonites.  (The story is based on events that took place in Bolivia in 2010.)  They’ve accepted a subservient role in their male-centered society without question.  They are illiterate and their education consists solely of the tenets of their religion.  Their responsibilities consist of tending to the household, bearing and raising children.  Anything else is the exclusive domain of the men.  For a long time, the women in the colony have accepted their lot in life with an unwavering faith.  They have also placed their complete trust in the men as the leaders of their colony and their religion.  Women Talking examines what happens after the women learn that their trust has been horrifically abused.