The action/heist thriller is a true and tried form of sub-genre entertainment. To say there have been many examples would be a vast understatement. From Heat to The Town, we’ve had superb representations of this genre but there have also been so many that have come across the screen that it’s hard to maintain a sense of originality.
Director and co-writer Steve McQueen, sharing writing credit with Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn, uses the convention of the heist film that we are familiar with to advance serious themes through blistering social commentary in his new film, Widows. This is a magnificently executed piece of cinema that is masked as popcorn entertainment but has layers that make it so much more. I’m all for entertaining films and checking my brain at the door but when you have something to say, you also earn my respect and Widows has a lot to say while also providing the necessary thrills to please casual moviegoers.
Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) is a career criminal – a thief so meticulous that he has operated for thirty years without being caught. He plans each job ahead and is old school in the sense that he writes down every detail of the current and next job in a notebook and leaves nothing to chance. But fate catches up to everyone and Harry is no exception. When Widows opens, he’s in trouble and seemingly over his head. Things haven’t gone well on his current job and one of his crew members is lying bleeding on the floor of a van while the other two try their best to keep him alive. The movie’s title, based on a novel by Lynda La Plante, gives a clue as to their eventual fate and this is only the beginning of the story.
Three of the four widows – Harry’s wife, Veronica (Viola Davis), along with Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) – are left financially strapped, once bereft of their husbands’ ill-gotten incomes (the situation involving the fourth widow is better left discovered upon viewing). For Veronica, it’s worse. Harry’s latest victim – gangster-turned-politician Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) – expects Veronica to provide $2 million in restitution or he’ll let loose his sociopath brother, Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya), to extract the payment in flesh. She has Harry’s notebook with the details of his next planned job and recruits those left behind by his recent debacle to help her pull it off.
If Widows was just a “heist” movie it would still be entertaining but, thankfully, Steve McQueen provides the audience with gravitas and nuance to hold onto. Narrative elements related to female empowerment and social injustice add layers to this film that enrich the subtext. There’s more at stake in the women’s situations. In addition to facing a threat to her life, Veronica must deal with unsavory revelations about her husband. She’s a serious person who rarely cracks a smile and, despite her seeming confidence, she knows she’s in way over her head. When Jatemme murders someone to prove a point, she recognizes how dire the situation is. Meanwhile, Linda must cope with caring for two young children after her shop is sold out from under her to pay her late husband’s debts. And Alice dabbles in high-end prostitution (as a “sugar baby”) to make a living. Juxtaposed to the situations of the women is what’s going on in the political climate of Chicago, which is essentially its own character in the film. There is a Chicago alderman’s race that pits Jamal against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), the son of longtime powerbroker, Tom (Robert Duvall). These two engage in the dirtiest of politics that makes a strong commentary on class and race relations in the city. There is a pivotal scene in the film where Jack is making a big political speech in a downtrodden area of town and then he hops in his car, with us following the vehicle, not seeing in, but hearing the conversation. He’s dropped off at his sprawling mansion in the suburbs that is all of a few minutes from the area he’s pledging to “save.” Scenes like this are important in the film because although the Mulligans are perceived to have high class, they’re just as dirty as their opponents. It’s another example, within the film, that everything isn’t all as it seems and that everyone has secrets and sides of themselves they present to different people.
Although female empowerment is at the core of the film, it doesn’t turn the leads into superwomen. These aren’t the ladies of Ocean’s 8 who are polished and always a step ahead, they’re very real women who stumble a few times as they take on this impossible task. It’s this aspect that keeps the characters completely grounded in reality and allows you to never suspend your disbelief. You buy that they’re in the situation and believe that what they do accomplish is possible. Even when they recruit a fourth member in the person of their driver, Belle (Cynthia Erivo), it feels like a natural plot device. The character, although introduced midway through, is another example of a woman trying to take care of her own by any means necessary.
The cast is solid from top to bottom without a bad performance to be found. Viola Davis leads the way and brings her usual power and presence to the role of Veronica. She’s tough and confident but also shows shades of vulnerability to go along with her staunch determination. In a less crowded field for Best Actress at the Oscars, I’d say she’d have a shot but I think the race is a tad too tough this year. Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki, although in supporting roles, are given moments to shine. Rodriguez, in particular, was a bit of a revelation for me because she has made her bread and butter playing kickass female roles which I love but it was refreshing to see her play against type. She can play soft and play someone real. I was reminded a bit of the role that made her famous years ago in Girlfight and, if anything, this film shows that she has the necessary range to display power with soft edges. As for Elizabeth Debicki, I wasn’t too familiar with her work but she’s probably one of the more sympathetic women of the crew because she goes from being repressed and weak to finding her voice within this situation. Her evolution, in my eyes, was the most prominent. Lastly, of the women, Cynthia Erivo gets introduced later in the game but she commands the screen and, along with Bad Times At The El Royale, showcases why more roles should come her way.
Even though this is a showcase for the women, the men also bring their A-game. Colin Farrell showcases his natural charm and charisma to showcase a politician that’s hiding a smarmy morally corrupt character. Brian Tyree Henry is also solid as the politician opposing him and showcases a likability that’s similar to what Farrell displays but he also is morally bankrupt and he has a moment in particular that showcases how crude he is. Liam Neeson and Robert Duvall, although in fairly limited roles, also show why they’re some of the best in the business and it’s great to see Duvall, at 87 years old, possessing the spunk to stand up with the best of them. Lastly, there is Daniel Kaluuya who is a long way from his roles in Get Out and Black Panther. He turns his brand of evil into an art form. He’s a truly vile personality but Kaluuya showcases his range and commands your attention as he performs each nefarious act.
Although there is action, there isn’t as much as the trailers and TV spots suggest. The pulse-pounding moments have more to do with the walls closing in on the female leads as they try to pull off the job. The action that is on display, is top notch. The opening scene is a true highlight as its juxtaposed with softer moments introducing the wives with their husbands to the botched heist that ends their lives. McQueen has a strong eye for action, even if it’s not the main focus.
By giving the audience a bit of substance, Widows comes out above most films of its type. There is solid entertainment on display and there are twists and turns that keep you engaged but the pedigree on display is strong and it crafts a story with meaning. There is more going on than what’s on the surface and this is why Widows comes out as, not only one of the most entertaining films of the year but one of the year’s very best as well.
