Director Steve Mc Queen's (12 Years A Slave) "Widows" opens with an intense kissing scene between Viola Davis and her criminal husband Liam Neeson, this is then brutally intercut with a chaotic getaway from a robbery gone wrong, where Harry Rowlings (Neeson) and his crew, are killed in a fiery explosion.
Viola Davis (Veronica) is left a widow, and even before she can dry her tears, Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) whom Rowlings stole from is demanding his money back ($2 million) as he will using it as campaign money for his run as alderman. He is running against Jack Mulligan (Collin Farrell) whose family has occupied the same seat if power for the past sixty years.
In his death, Harry leaves Veronica a notebook with details on their next job, which is worth $5 million.
Veronica has no idea as to the workings of her late husbands jobs and goes on to hire her fellow crime widows, Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Linda (Michelle Rodriguez). Seeing as Jamal might come knocking on their doors next. The widows decide to split the money that would be left after paying off Jamal Manning.
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| Michelle Rodriguez, Viola Davis & Elizabeth Debicki in Widows |
Alice's character is very interesting and Debicki gives an impressive performance. She is tall (really tall), blonde and beautiful, unfortunately that's all that she seems to be. Her late husband played by Jon Bernthal would beat her up, he'd buy her nice things after and they'd kiss and make up.
With his passing, Alice is left on her own and takes the ill advice of her mother to be an escort of sorts for rich men, who would pay her for her company (among other things).
As they plan out the heist and throughout the end of the film, Alice proves that she's more than just a pretty face.
Cynthia Erivo whom I first saw and fell in love with in "Hard Times at the El Royale" is Belle, who works two jobs to provide for her daughter. She comes in late in the game as the baby sitter of Linda's children, she is hired to be their getaway driver.
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| Cynthia Erivo & Michelle Rodriguez in Widows |
This is no "Ocean's Eight" but rather a politically and charged thriller disguised as a heist movie. Don't get me wrong, it's an incredibly entertaining flick but the genious of Steve Mc Queen is that it's more than that, with it's themes of interracial ail marriages, sexism, corruption and police brutality there is a lot of substance here.
The screen was also co-written by novelist and screen writer Gillian Flynn whose flawed female leads ("Gone Girl", "Sharp Objects) make her perfect for the job of bringing these real and desperate characters to life.
Of course, the steely cold and powerful performance of Viola Davis with a couple of raw and vulnerable scenes make her the perfect desperate crime widow.
Hats off to Daniel Kaluyaa (Get Out) who plays Jatemme, Jamal Manning's brother, a psychotic and terrifying thug who not let anything get in his way, even if it's getting answers from a guy in a wheelchair.
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| Viola Davis & Colin Farrell in Widows |
9/10 -just because I wasn't so happy with Michelle Rodriguez's arc.
There's a big twist in the middle of the film that will just make you gasp and curse out and of course that just makes the movie even better.
"WIDOWS" is a gift that keeps on giving, it is a relentless thriller filled with twists and surprises. I don't think I've gasped in surprise and/or horror as much as I did in this movie.
The dangerous and realistic heist, incredible performances and social themes throughout the film will have you raving about it long after you've seen it.
This is not your campy all female heist flick... it is instead something more, intense and unforgiving, grim and cruel because, such is the way things are...
The critically acclaimed "WIDOWS" is R-16 and is now showing.
