Widows

It’s been five years since Steve McQueen’s previous feature film 12 Years a Slave which not only received widespread critical acclaim but won the Oscar for Best Picture also (however McQueen did not to win Best Director). Everyone was curious to see what his next project would be, and it was a curiosity that would be fed for almost five years.

Widows follows a group of women, led of Voila Davis’ Veronica, attempting to plan a heist after the death of their husbands (during a raid of their own) end up with them owing a $2,000,000 debt to a criminal gang. Each of the three women (later to be four) have their own motivations for the robbery but it all comes down to money. Veronica needs the money to pay off the debt she owes Brian Tyree Henry’s gangster/politician, Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) needs the money to save her store and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) needs the money because her husband gambled the money away.

Veronica felt that the four-woman team was the perfect team for the job because nobody would think they would have the balls to pull this off.  Once told that the criminal underworld is not her world, Veronica’s quotable and inspiring pep talk does have real world significance because there are very few women led heist movies (even if 2018 saw the release of two major female led heist movies - with the other being Oceans 8). Widows’ female cast list feels less forced than that of Oceans 8 and therefore makes more of it by crafting a drama that is poignant and character driven, giving the likes of Davis and Rodriquez more of a fleshed-out role to sink their teeth into.

The film starts with tender, loving scenes between Veronica and her husband (Liam Neeson) juxtaposed with the failed robbery that adds to Veronica’s sense of loss as it shows the human cost of the failed heist by highlighting Veronica’s loneliness and depression following the death of her husband. What this does is add emotional weight to the heist, giving it an emotional core, which allows us to empathize with the women and we want them to succeed despite the criminal nature of their actions.

As one would expect, Widows is a film that keeps its finger on the pulse of current American politics. A small, and unexpected, part of film relates to the black lives matter movement. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment, but the suddenness of it is shattering to the viewer as it would have been to Veronica. One remarkable shot, that greatly exhibits McQueen’s prowess as a director, is an unbroken real time shot (lasting a minute) that shows how close an impoverished area is to one of extravagant wealth. In that scene, McQueen brilliantly introduces us to the location in which the film is set (which is Chicago) showing us that the huge problem of inequality in America.

McQueen has often set himself apart from other directors due to the technical brilliance of his films. This time he is helped by Gillian Flynn’s superb script about real women facing real life problems (money, childcare, abuse). Quite a contrast to the Hollywood escapism of Oceans 8. This adds to the film’s stakes, engaging us enough to look past some of the film’s more implausible moments. Led by a collection of superb performances, including Daniel Kaluuya’s menacing performance and Davis vulnerable and powerful one, Widows is a certain front runner for awards recognition come the end of the year.

4.5/5