Widows

WIDOWS (15)

D: Steve McQueen

20th Century Fox/Film4/Regency/See Saw (Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman & Arnon Milchan)

US/UK 2018

129 mins

Crime/Thriller/Drama

W: Steve McQueen & Gillian Flynn[based on the mini series and novel by Lynda La Plante]

DP: Sean Bobbitt

Ed: Joe Walker

Mus: Hans Zimmer

PD: Adam Stockhausen

Cos: Jenny Eagan

Viola Davis (Veronica Rawlins), Michelle Rodriguez (Linda Perelli), Elizabeth Debicki (Alice Gunner), Cynthia Erivo (Belle), Colin Farrell (Jack Mulligan), Brian Tyree Henry (Jamal Manning), Daniel Kaluuya(Jatemme Manning), Jacki Weaver (Agnieska), Carrie Coon (Amanda), Robert Duvall (Tom Mulligan), Liam Neeson (Harry Rawlins)

This intricately weaved heist drama was originally screened as a two-part six-episode TV mini series penned by crime writer Lynda La Plante in the mid-1980's and subsequently released as a novel.

This 2018 modernisation uproots the story from London to Chicago, starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki as the recently widowed wives of three professional criminals who perish following a bungled robbery in the film's opening scenes.

Colin Farrell and Brian Tyree Henry also star as a pair of rival politicians both campaigning for an upcoming election and both equally crooked. It emerges that the robbery has directly affected both of them, especially Jamal Manning (Henry) whose campaign money was stolen in the bungled heist.

He pays a visit to Veronica Rawlins, the widow of head thief Harry, threatening violence if $2 million isn't returned to him within a month... and it soon proves that he or his brother (a brilliant Daniel Kaluuya) are not to be trifled with.

Veronica is left Harry's notebook, detailing plans for his next heist, and she enlists the help of the other two women, both suffering financial hardship, in order to pull off the robbery.

The plot is very multi-layered and is only a heist film on the very face of it. Several other themes are also explored, such as the rich-poor divide in modern society and politicians & criminals being equally dishonest. The entire ensemble cast are excellent and every single character is fully fleshed out with an interesting history. Viola Davis may lead the cast, but other performances deserve to be equally lauded, particularly Elizabeth Debicki and Daniel Kaluuya (for me, his career best performance) and it's quite brilliantly directed by Steve McQueen. On the negative side, a few loose ends are left at the end, but they aren't especially bothersome and there are a few scenes which could have been snipped down for pacing reasons, but again, considering this was adapted from a 12-part serial, the filmmakers did a sterling job.

A certain inclusion in my Top 10 Movies of 2018.

8/10