The opening shot of “Widows” is mesmerizing. We meet three women with the loves of their lives, who are killed in a police shoot-out, following a robbery gone wrong. This intro splices scenes from their love side to the robbery. And when we see a great opening shot like this, we know it’s gonna be a masterpiece. “Widows,” the latest feature from the “12 Years a Slave” genius Steve McQueen, is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2018. I just loved the sh*t out of it.
The following takes place in Chicago.
The three women I’m talking about are Veronica (Viola Davis), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), and following their husbands’ deaths, they’re all in turmoil. Linda loses her store and must provide for her kids; Alice’s mother (Jacki Weaver) makes her go on a dating website for rich men, so she doesn’t have to work; but more importantly, Veronica is visited by a crime boss named Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) who is also a candidate for alderman of a precinct. Her husband Harry (Liam Neeson)-the leader of the robbers-stole money from him, and it burned up in an explosion during the shoot-out, and ergo, he gives her a month to pay him back.
So, with plans for her deceased husband’s next job, she rallies up the other two widows, and plans to fix everyone’s problems.
Also in the mix is another candidate named Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), who is tired of taking sh*t from his racist father (Robert Duvall); Jamal’s brother (Daniel Kaluuya), who kills Harry’s associates in order to retrieve the money; and a hairstylist and babysitter named Belle (Cynthia Erivo), who becomes the girls’ getaway driver.
“Widows” is another bold and breathtaking masterpiece from Steve McQueen, who based it on a British TV series, and helps represent the true power in both women and diversity. He gives Davis, Rodriguez, Debicki, and Erivo the strengths they deserve. In fact, they give the bravest feminine performances of the year. And the supporting roles from Farrell, Henry, Kaluuya, Duvall, and Neeson are top-notch, and I wish I could tell you why. No spoiler alerts.
The movie deals with racial discrimination, corrupt politicians, gangsters, deception, and murder; and it also has women who fight the power. “Widows” is a must-see.
Don’t miss it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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