'Widows' A Review

Widows is a heist/thriller set in Chicago. The film opens on a team of criminals who are killed, and their score destroyed, during a failed robbery. Jamal(Brian Tyree Henry) the crime boss who was robbed is a prospective alderman facing off against longstanding alderman's son Jack(Colin Farrell). In order to make a final campaign push Jamal taps Veronica(Viola Davis), the widow of the criminal leader Harry(Liam Neeson) who was killed, to pay his $2,000,000 debt. Veronica plans a score with the other widows in order to pay that debt.

Davis brings her colossal emotive abilities to bear paired with an unflinching authority to give the relatively commercial story some incredible nuance. Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo round out the crew and all give solid performances. Debicki is given more to do, has more of an arc and transformation and as such shines a bit brighter, certainly showing some promising range above and beyond her previous turn as one of the villains in MI6. Erivo also stands out doing a lot with little, giving a commanding physical performances and conveying deep emotion and meaning with silence and looks. The remaining cast all give good performances Henry and Daniel Kaluuya as Jamal's brother and muscle especially but the titular leads are given virtually balanced screen time with their male supporting counter parts and as such it feels a bit uneven.

Visually the film is stunning, no surprise from co-writer/director Steve McQueen, the beginning heist sequence, an extended unbroken take care ride, the robbery the film culminates in all are breathtaking pieces of cinematography. McQueen bring his same impeccable casting, his clarity, and his sense of tension to this commercial tale as he does to his prestige dramas and indie films. As such this feels more like Michael Mann at his peak rather than standard action fare. And there is a point, a message, a theme greater than a cool heist. Its success varies but the attempt and incorporation into the genre is seamless.

The other thing he gets right is Chicago. Filming almost exclusively on the streets of Chicago neighborhoods and eschewing tourist landmarks he gets the feel of the city right. Any setting rendered truthfully elevates a narrative and any film not set in NYC or LA is a relief.

See It.