Widows

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When their husbands all die in a botched robbery, three women choose to finish the job for the men. The events of the women trying to pull off the robbery is set into motion when Veronica Rawlings (played by Viola Davis) is threatened by political candidate Jamal Manning (played by Brian Tyree Henry) to get his stolen money back. This is one of those movies I was interested in when I found out about it, especially as a fan of heist movies. Still, I didn’t necessarily know what to expect the final result to be. The women playing the widows (Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Debicki) are all excellent. This is to be expected out of Viola Davis. Michelle Rodriguez is somebody I was already a fan of, but it was nice to see her add some vulnerability to her typical tough-girl schtick. Elizabeth Debicki really stood out to me. The most I’ve really ever seen her in was Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, and while she’s fine in that movie, Widows really gives her a showcase for talents. She plays a woman is constantly victimized, and finally has a chance to stand up. I almost feel bad for not seeing some of the twists and turns coming (especially because I do watch a lot of movies). The thing is, I’m happy they were able to surprise me. I also love the conflict set up between Jamal’s rival, Jack Mulligan (played by Colin Farrell) and his father (played by Robert Duvall). You can tell that Jack somewhat respects his legacy, but also wants to break away from some of the more negative traditions held by his father (who shows from the first scene that he is racist). Props should also be given to Daniel Kaluuya as Jamal’s brother, Jatemme. Jatemme is about as despicable and menacing a villain as you can get. Kaluuya sells it by bringing an intimidation factor I never knew the man had in him. Director Steve McQueen gives some style to the movie as well. McQueen co-wrote the film with Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. This film was a passion project for McQueen, and clearly shows in the best way possible. You can really tell the man wanted to make this movie. There is only one scene in the movie that could have been cut a little bit shorter, but that really is me nitpicking. Overall, my complaints in this movie are minor nitpicks at most, but Widows is still an excellent film, and should be seen. 

9 / 10