One of the most important things for co-writer and director Steve McQueen while making his adaption of the 80’s ITV television crime drama Widows was believability, and that rings true even with how chaotic the opening sequence is. It’s a story that’s more interested in the buildup of the big crime, the characters undertaking the task and the circumstances that unite them. McQueen works in some solid development and some slick social commentary into this film, without falling into the trap of hammering the message home or skimping on the excitement.
This is a slow build that’s well worth the wait, and even though there’s only so much screen time devoted to their plan, you never feel cheated out of what turns out to be a very subversive and nuanced action film. Sean Bobbit’s cinematography depicts a Chicago taken not from a Hollywood set but straight from real life, adding to the aura of a movie that feels closer to Robert Altman’s or Martin Scorcese’s early work than your run-of-the-mill heist flick.
The titular widows are Veronica Rawlins (Viola Davis), Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debecki) and Linda Perelli (Michelle Rodriguez), whose husbands were part of a criminal gang. Despite the efforts of Veronica’s spouse Harry (Liam Neeson), a robbery goes amok and the thieves are cornered by police in a high speed chase, then killed in a shootout.
The local mob boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), who’s running for an alderman seat against the politically connected Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), isn’t happy to learn he won’t be getting his money from the late Harry and company. He puts Veronica on the clock to come up with the cash soon, or else.
Luckily, Harry’s left behind plans for a robbery of a safe inside Jack Mulligan’s house, worth up to $5 million, inside a small notebook. She offers a share to Alice and Linda not so much in a get-rich-quick scheme, but to save all of their lives. With the help of Linda’s kids’ babysitter Belle (Cynthia Erivo) as their getaway driver, the four gather their resources and train themselves for the big night the best they can in a limited frame of time.
They’ll have to hurry, because Mr. Manning’s blood-thirsty brother and enforcer Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) is hunting for that notebook. Making matters tougher, as conflicted as Jack is about his political future and his conflicts with his racist incumbent father (Robert Duvall), he might know more than it initially appears.
Viola Davis’s brand has always been determined, often serious-minded characters that are also vulnerable, and she’s in top form in this lead performance. The four heroines do bond over the course of the story, but she makes it clear she’s focused on her own survival foremost- “If something goes wrong, you’re on your own.” But despite the emotional distance she puts between herself and the others, one scene in particular between Alicia and Veronica (which has some great acting from Davis and Debicki) allows both characters to show some much-needed affection and comfort. Something badly needed for both of them given their situation.
Most of the supporting cast is effective as well in their roles. Kaluuya, in particular, shines as a terrifying but still suave villain- a complete 180* from the warmth and fear he displayed in Get Out. This is helpful because there are a lot of detailed subplots in Widows, so the characters are still enjoyable to watch even though a few of their stories are either unwritten a bit or just left hanging. That’s part of why I’d like to see some sort of sequel/follow-up story, because you get the impression that a bit more can be done with a few of the characters here.
Even amongst all of the harrowing events unfolding and reflections on Veronica’s heartbreaking past, McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn’s script has a sly wit to it that knows how to satisfy the audience (including one character receiving their comeuppance in such a manner that prompted my theater to applaud) without undercutting any of its heroines’ desperation, or trivializing their problems. The movie is very much a drama, especially in how it depicts Rawlins dealing with grief and her world (once again, as it turns out) being turned upside down.
Yet it’s also not afraid to let its protagonists occasionally look a little foolish. Maybe they’ll start out with bad aim, misread a code, or get details wrong. That helps to make the characters more believable, as they’re not professional thieves,- rather four women trying to survive and leaving nothing to chance, so of course they’re going to make mistakes.
Every single arc in Widows didn’t feel as fully realized as I would have liked, mostly because there were so many moving gears in the storyline. It’s the strength of the performances, solid buildup and the intelligence of the script that really make it worth a look. One can watch this and enjoy the different allegories and various themes explored, and also get into it as a visceral action movie.
It’s rare that a modern movie can capture the stripped-down, realistic feel of crime films from the 1970s like McQueen’s effort here. But he mainly pulls it off great in a film that puts some much-overdue spotlight on the wives of cinema criminals. Highly recommended, and if you’d had the change to see it, write us at @Official_FAN on Twitter and give us your thoughts!