Directed by:
Steve McQueenCinematography:
Sean BobbittComposer:
Hans ZimmerCast:
Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Garret Dillahunt, Carrie Coon (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
From acclaimed director Steve McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn comes a blistering, modern-day thriller with a powerful ensemble cast. When four armed robbers are killed in a failed heist attempt, their widows - with nothing in common except a debt left by their dead husbands’ criminal activities - take fate into their own hands to forge a future on their own terms. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
(more)Videos (14)
Reviews (9)
I'm not usually into heist movies, but this one was different. I was never bored and waited anxiously to see what would happen next. The credit for this goes not only to the clever script but also to the very solid music and decent performances by most of the cast. This time I would like to highlight especially the ladies, although the gentlemen were not bad at all. I most enjoyed the passages in which the trio of actresses Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo (either together or separately) made their presence felt. To be fair, I must add that Robert Duvall also played his role very convincingly. (85%)
()
What got me to watch the film was its decent cast, but I feel like I was tricked. Given how boring it was, the running time was downright murderous. I’m not sure if there was a deeper message. My only takeaway from the film is that it was another act of brown nosing to the creators of racial quotas, so two black women, one responsible Hispanic mother and a Polish blonde meet to embark on a life of crime. Especially the character of Veronica seemed rather weird, at times almost schizophrenic. Her transitions from a righteous widow to a "cool" badass were really hard to believe. The script was very predictable, and I actually didn't enjoy any of it.
()
My favorite author of the books for Gone Girl and Sharp Objects has teamed up with the director of 12 Years a Slave to knead together a sort of female variation on the heist movie. It actually turned out pretty well, but I can't help feeling that more could have been mined from the material. Anyway, I have to appreciate the attempt at originality, at least in the sense that the main characters did not choose their fate and were basically pushed to it by external circumstances. The whole story thus becomes much more fateful and all the attempts at social resonance seem quite credible. And it might as well have been called A Frightening Legacy.
()
The ambitious 12 Years a Slave didn't appeal to me too much, but Widows is a different matter altogether. I haven't seen so many characters in one (new) film in a while that are so well written and acted and that aren't wasted, and it's a downright joy to watch them. And when their story is interesting, thrilling, well shot and has something to surprise you with (and it does), there's nothing to worry about.
()
The collaboration between McQueen and Zimmer promised a gripping experience full of tension and a mature touch. While I did experience these feelings a few times during the film, I wouldn't label it as fully successful. The cast is outstanding, no doubt about that. Viola Davis, in particular, doesn’t need to prove anything anymore, but she still delivered a top-notch, profoundly HUMAN performance. This aspect is often lacking in films. The father-son duo of Farrell and Duvall also shone, but their storyline could have used more screen time; I wouldn’t have minded at all. Moreover, Daniel Kaluuya steals a few moments for himself, sending chills down my spine. The idea of a heist carried out by widows initially appealed to me, but the film’s execution of this original and clever concept didn’t impress me as much. There’s also a lack of deep understanding of the main female characters since the film doesn’t delve into their relationships much, which is a disappointment. However, I admit that by the end, I was as tense as could be. Add Zimmer’s thunderous score and the chilling actions of everyone involved, and you get a positive outcome. It’s worthy of four stars, but it has its shortcomings, preventing it from soaring higher. A shame. I give it 70%.
()
Ads