Respond to these rapid questions in our Widows quiz and we will tell you which Widows character you are. Play it now.
The majority of heist films are built on a veneer of cool genius, masterminded by a gang of antiheroes who are typically looking for some form of justifiable vengeance in their lives. “Widows” is not like the majority of heist films. This time, however, the emotional currents that drive Steve McQueen’s brilliant genre exercise are different: they are inequity in society, exhaustion from corruption, and outright anger at a system that steals from the poor and gives it to the rich. When it comes to films, Steve McQueen’s masterful work is the kind that can be enjoyed on multiple levels at the same time—not only as pure pulp entertainment, but also as a commentary on how often we feel we have to accept what we are owed or risk never receiving it at all.
McQueen begins his film with an immediate rush of adrenaline, dropping us right into the middle of the latest “job” carried out by criminal Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) and his crew (Jon Bernthal, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Coburn Goss), which goes horribly horribly wrong. It is McQueen and his incredible editor (Joe Walker, who deserves to win an Oscar for his work here) who keep the action moving between the fateful job and brief scenes of introductions to the Rawlings’ crew members and their partners in the film. Consequently, we meet Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), a fragile, abused woman whose mother (Jacki Weaver) barely treats her any better than her abusive husband; Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), a mother of two who is just starting her own business; and Amanda (Carrie Coon), who is the mother of a 4-month-old baby. All three of them, as well as Harry’s wife Veronica, will be widowed before the opening sequence is completed (Viola Davis).
A short time after Harry’s death, Veronica is visited by a local criminal named Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), who informs her that Harry’s final job was to steal $2 million from him and his campaign for alderman of the 18th ward of New York City. The Mannings, with the assistance of his sociopathic brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya), inform Veronica that she must repay the money at the same time that Harry’s widow happens to discover her late husband’s notebook, which contains all of the details on past and future jobs. There’s a lot of information available about the next job he had planned, which is expected to bring in $5 million. Veronica gathers the other widows, and they all agree to take on Harry’s next job as his replacement. They will be able to repay Manning and still have enough money left over to start their new lives.
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If only everything in Chicago could be that simple. Moreover, I haven’t even mentioned Manning’s opponent for the 18th ward aldermanship, Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), who comes from a long line of Chicago politicians, including his racist father Tom Mulligan (Robert Duvall). When it comes to politics, Jack is one of those silver spoon politicians who almost feels like he’s owed the position simply by virtue of his last name, never mind the fact that he’s embroiled in an investigation into bribery and corruption involving a project to expand the Chicago Green Line. In his role as a politician, Jack initiates a program to place minority women to work by providing them with small businesses…from which he then receives a portion of the profits. “Widows” is a film in which everything has a price. To a certain extent, everything is a business transaction. In “Widows,” the job that opens the film and then Veronica’s decision to use the notebook instead of selling it both reveal a corrupt and broken system, one that feels distinctly Chicagoan while also commenting on inequity throughout the world. McQueen and his crew make excellent use of the city, particularly in a stunning single take in which we see Mulligan driving from a campaign event in his ward to his home, with the camera remaining outside the car to show us the rapidly changing neighborhood as he travels the short distance home.
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The script for “Widows” by Gillian Flynn brings together a diverse group of characters under one roof, but the contrasts between them never feel imposed on the audience. Only after you take a step back and reflect do you realize that the fact that Alice, Linda, and Veronica are Polish, Latinx, and Black, respectively, is most likely not coincidental, let alone their vastly different economic circumstances—Veronica lives on the Gold Coast, whereas Alice must work as an escort to make ends meet. ‘Widows’ appears to be saying, at least in part, that corruption is a great equalizer, particularly among women who have been betrayed by powerful men. This is a line from Tom Mulligan’s monologue, “The only thing that matters is that we survive,” which is meant to capture how tightly he’s trying to hold on to a white political legacy, but it could be said by any number of characters in “Widows.” This and other memorable lines are sprinkled throughout the film, but McQueen and Flynn make a point of never allowing their film to devolve into a political polemic. While the dialogue is lively and engaging, it never draws attention to itself or comes across as overly precious or preachy.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Widows quiz.
One of the reasons “Widows” manages to stay above the line where it would otherwise feel like a preachy documentary is that it features the best ensemble of 2018. Viola Davis can convey more emotion through a longing, grieving gaze out a window than the majority of actresses can convey through a monologue. Keep an eye out for the beat where she’s looking out at Lake Michigan and we see her in reflection, with an image of her deceased husband appearing behind her in the background. It’s almost as if her grief brought him into being. And when Veronica’s drive shifts from sadness to rage, Davis makes every beat count by putting his all into it. There isn’t a single decision that she has made that has been a mistake. It’s possible that this was her best performance.
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In addition to herself, she’s surrounded by an absurdly talented supporting cast who are all on her level. “The Tale,” which she appeared in earlier this year, was a standout performance, but this is her breakthrough role, and she almost manages to steal the show. Keep an eye on Alice’s body language as she transforms from a frightened victim to a confident woman. Despite the fact that she never overplays the transformation, it’s impossible to miss. It’s a rare kind of film in which it’s difficult to single out any particular moments that stand out. Despite the fact that many people believe Kaluuya steals a few of Henry’s best scenes, I’m not convinced that’s the case. They’re both outstanding.) Rodriguez makes one wish she was in more dramas on a regular basis. Cynthia Erivo should be a household name any day now. Every role, no matter how minor, such as those played by Garret Dillahunt and Coon, feels “right.” There isn’t a single role or performance that has been wasted or performed haphazardly.
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Last but not least, there are the technical aspects of “Widows.” The editing here, by two-time Academy Award nominee Joe Walker (nominated for “12 Years a Slave” and “Arrival”), is every bit as good as that of a movie like “Baby Driver.” For a film with so many characters and themes and plot points to keep it moving, it takes a master editor, and Walker finds the perfect rhythm for the job. When it comes to the score, Hans Zimmer’s most subtle in a long time, especially in the way that McQueen employs it, holding back on it almost entirely for the first 30-45 minutes, allowing it to bubble up as the heist draws nearer, enhancing the overall tension of the experience.
As a result, some of the smaller patterns in “Widows” can be easily overlooked because the tapestry is so large. One scene has Jatemme following Veronica while listening to an interview on the radio about Albert Woodfox, a man who spent 43 years in solitary confinement at Angola Prison. A line from Woodfox appears in the report, and McQueen makes sure we hear it: “Nothing you do will make your situation better.” “Widows” tells the story of a group of women who discover the truth about their situation and decide to fight it.
For more personality quizzes check this: Hereditary Quiz.
