Widows Review
R: Violence, language throughout, and some sexual content/nudity
20th Century Fox, Regency Enterprises, Film4, See-Saw Films
2 Hrs and 10 Minutes
Dir: Steve McQueen | Writers: Gillian Flynn, Steve McQueen
Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson, Jon Bernthal, Lukas Haas, Garret Dillahunt, Matt Walsh, Kevin J. O'Connor
Release Date: Nov. 16th 2018
Master filmmaker Steve McQueen and beloved writer (and new master of twists) Gillian Flynn have joined forces and made a movie?! And they said “Avengers: Infinity War” was the most ambitious crossover of all time. Out of all the things that they could have adapted, they chose a British series from the 80s of the same name. Weird flex but okay. I mean, Steve McQueen is British so you know the show influenced him when he was young. BESIDES, it’s Steve McQueen and Gillian Flynn. It’s bound to be THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR, IF NOT OF ALL TIME! Okay, I might be exaggerating but who knows, I might be right.
"Widows" is the story of four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands' criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Oscar® winner Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
If there is something we could all collectively admit, it’s that heist movies recently have been very lite and generic. They’re either campy, fun, or a “Fast and Furious” film. What comes to mind first is “Ocean’s 8” which was a campy heist comedy released earlier this year with an all-female ensemble. They’re all great actresses but it lacked a sense of urgency which was a detriment to the film overall. Now, with “Widows”, you have a heist thriller with a serious tone that is needed today. Right when the film opens, the serious gritty tone is established and it is maintained throughout so it all feels so real. Seriously, “Ocean’s 8” could never! I’m saying this: “Ocean’s 8” walked so “Widows” could run. Steve McQueen masterfully captures grit and natural thrills without having to show off. The script, written by him and Flynn, may have flaws which I will get into later in the review, but the characters are all well-detailed. Each person has their own personal conflicts and you understand the struggle they go through and the sacrifices they make to survive.
One of the best aspects of the film’s authenticity is the lead characters who you sympathize with. Now, when all of their husbands are swatted like flies by the SWAT, you resonate with the widows and the burden they all bear as they go through personal conflicts afterwards. One is living the high life (Veronica) who has to pay back the money of a mob boss running for governor, one is a bit of a trophy-wife dimwit who receives nothing but physical abuse and has to find sugar daddies to maintain a living (Alice), and one has to find a new way to pay the bills for her flower shop that her husband screwed her out of (Linda). While the film focuses the most on Viola Davis as Veronica, who you root for to succeed all the way through, the character I sympathized with the most was Michelle Rodriguez as Linda, whose husband left her with guilt and shame. You resonate with all of the central characters for different reasons and once again, Davis is the conductor of it all, as she should be.
Besides the screenplay, McQueen’s direction is great. There are amazing performances provided by the cast, but the people who stood out the most are the antagonists. And I’m primarily talking about this dude:
Daniel Kaluuya. Damn that guy has friggin range. The man went from “Get Out” to “Holy shit it's Daniel Kuulya. GET OUT!!” He and Brian Tyree Henry are the major bosses of the movie and they are frightening. While we’ve seen them in their vulnerable states in other projects, this film displays a complete opposite side to them. It is their rightful time to play the villains and they succeed amazingly. There is a scene where Kaluuya exhibits intense terror and when that scene ends, you are triggered and fear this man each second he’s onscreen, especially when he’s next to our leads. He gets glee from it too. He does crazy well, almost like the Black Joker. Well... Black-British Joker who does a great American accent.
Then, you have a scene with Tyree Henry and a dog and... oof. I’m still reeling from witnessing that scene. It’s been nearly two months since I’ve seen the film as of now and that scene still haunts me. The two are actual threats and you feel the raised stakes whenever they enter the scene and it makes the mission oh so difficult for our lead heroines.
With the setting being moved from its original source to Chicago, the film provides some insightful commentary about class which is one of the central themes of the film. For the most part, it delivers. Especially by the time the climax kicks into high gear, the message/statement adds to a huge factor of the heist itself which makes it more captivating and intense. Because of this being an R-rated heist/crime drama (FINALLY), the violence is prominent and is often extremely bloody.
In accounts of the narrative, there is way too much going on. Between trying to balance the narrative progression, developing the characters (primarily Veronica), and delivering the thought-provoking theme that is relevant today, the film’s story is kind of a mess, and the editing tries it’s best to compensate for its jumbled story. It’s similar to having different open tabs on a browser and having to check in with each notification. Sometimes it’s confusing because it goes through time jumps for the sake of exploring the complexities of Veronica. As a film that’s a little over two hours long, it has the perfect running time to tell it’s story, but it would’ve benefitted more as a TV series. It’s as if HBO turned down the rights for this to be a miniseries because they already had “Big Little Lies” and Flynn’s “Sharp Objects” in the works. Not to mention that Showtime already had Lena Waithe’s “The Chi”.
Aside from that, you are left wanting more development from the many characters you meet in the film. This would’ve been damn perfect as a series because you have enough time to explore everything the film attempts to do. Regardless, what you have here is solid and captivating enough to keep you entertained and engaged throughout.
The script, while having real emotion, is also a bit topsy-turvy. When the dialogue hits, it’s hard and cuts deep and sends chills down your spine. But oftentimes some of the stuff the characters do are dumb. The script features way too many storylines, subplots, and some of the characters are either unbalanced or underwritten. Cynthia Erivo’s character isn’t a Widow and her character is introduced nearly an hour in. She acts as if she was part of the plan the entire time. But… damn that girl can run. There is an incredible moment where Erivo is sprinting so fast that she gives Forrest Gump a RUN for his money.
For a woman who carries a show like ”How to Get Away With Murder” this film is more of a “How to Get Away With a Heist” vibe. Davis is great, but she’s the same exact version of herself that you see on television. It’s like watching Davis play Annalise on a big screen. While it is a great show, and so is her performance, she’s not that great of a character.
Despite these issues I have with the film, which all lie within the second act, the final 40 minutes is phenomenal.
The film may be written by both McQueen and Flynn, but you know that the latter is the one who provided that left turn. Why? BECAUSE YOUR ASS GETS GONE-GIRLED AGAIN! I will not go into any further detail about that statement because I want to avoid spoilers, but holy shit. Gillian Flynn reminds you that she is the mother of plot twists. You know how Daenerys Targaryen is referred to as the Mother of Dragons? Well, Gillian Flynn is the mother of plot twists.
M. NIGHT COULD NEVER HIT AS HARD AS SHE DOES!
There isn’t much of a mystery aspect to the story at all, but as the film progresses and some clues are hinted, you are left with an impeccable face of shock like:
and that face never lets up for the remainder of the movie. Because of how brilliantly executed that twist is, the film kicks itself into high gear for an incredible finale.
In my personal opinion, I don’t consider “Widows” an award contender. No, not at all. It is flawed, but it is still a good movie, if not one of the best popcorn flicks of the year. “Gone Girl” was too good of a popcorn film that it had award-worthy aspects to it. “Widows” does not. The actresses are great, but none of them truly stand out. It’s a great Hollywood heist movie and the best of the genre this year (suck it, “Ocean’s 8”). It’s like how every Edgar Wright film is distinctively outstanding while “Baby Driver” was pretty much his worst/most accessible film to date, but it’s still pretty fucking good. That’s what “Widows” is. It may be McQueen’s least effective film, but it’s still pretty great.
While it is a slight departure from McQueen’s other efforts, “Widows” is a dark, gritty, and intensely captivating Hollywood heist thriller that is pulse-pounding fun from beginning to end.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 78%
