Widows, written with Gillian Flynn - based on the book by Lynda La Plante- and directed by Steve McQueen - 8 out of 10

Widows, written with Gillian Flynn - based on the book by Lynda La Plante- and directed by Steve McQueen
8 out of 10


Steve McQueen is one of the most remarkable film makers of our time, perhaps of all time.

His 12 Years a Slave has not won just the Academy Award for Best Picture and other major prizes, but also the hearts of viewers and the entrance in the cinematic Hall of Fame for this formidable director.
Shame is another great achievement of an artist who has so many productive years ahead of him.

Widows is therefore expected to be different from the regular heist movie and it is.
On many levels.

Nevertheless, coming with high expectations, a viewer might be somewhat disappointed.
I was.

The director is sensational, the cast formidable and the story good.
Hence, the film is worth watching.

It would not join 12 Years a Slave though in the history of cinema books.
Harry Rawlings aka Liam Neson is married to Veronica, the always majestic Viola Davis.

He is a criminal and in the opening scenes- if not opening, at the beginning anyway- he leads a team of robbers that is ambushed by the police.
The van in which they had tried a getaway explodes and there is little left of the bodies.

At the funeral, a local politician, candidate in the upcoming elections, Jack Mulligan aka Colin Farrell, offers his full support to the widowed Veronica.
Unfortunately, soon after the last rites, Jamal Manning, rival in the upcoming elections of Mulligan, visits the traumatized woman and states that her late spouse owed him two million dollars.

She has one month to pay and it is evident he means businesses and will get the debt or else he would inflict great pain, probably kill her.
He has a henchman in the figure of Jatemme Manning, played by Daniel Kaluuya, a young stupendous actor who has established himself as an accomplished artist with his role in Get Out.

Looking for a way out, desperate for she has almost nothing, Veronica contacts the other women who have become the Widows.
The plan is to get five million dollars from a place that is listed as a potential target among her late husband's things.

The other two Widows are also in trouble for Linda has lost her shop, repossessed because her dead spouse had gambled, while Alice looks like she would have to become a sex worker, if a high market one.
A word on Alice portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki, an actress that for some reason has a negative effect on this cinephile.

This performer seems artificial, outlandish as if she belongs to a different story, or an amateur would try to act.
Probably this is just a subjective and defective opinion, but I wonder how you feel about it...if you see the film, let me know if you liked this peace of acting or not...

Robert Duvall on the other hand is outstanding in the role of Tom Mulligan, a powerful politician in his active days, father of Jack, with who he argues almost all the time.
In a surprising scene, we see the latter on a yacht, talking money with...the dead Harry Rawlings.
The action feature does not turn into a vampire movie.

It is just that we learn how Harry had fooled everyone.
He had killed his partners and would not even inform his wife about his plan.

Much worse could happen in a confrontation, but this note will avoid spoiler alerts, as much as possible.
With many surprises, intelligent writing, crafty direction, excellent acting - with the aforementioned exception- Widows offers more than just good entertainment.