Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, four women with nothing in common except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities, take fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
By all accounts, “Widows” appears, at first glance, to be a story about wives recovering from the loss of their villainous husbands. To some extent, that assumption would be correct. However, in the course of a roughly two-hour runtime, “Widows” ultimately becomes much more.
With writers Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen charting the course of this narrative, a few surprises would not be out of character. The film opens to a frantic flashback or flash forward – at first, we aren’t sure – to reveal a gang heist gone bad. Initial adrenalin pumping scenes captivate the viewer immediately. The tragic events cause the protagonists to explore their sense of loss and regret, as well as their dysfunctional families.
“Widows” focuses on the travails of three women, each portrayed in fine form by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, and Michelle Rodriguez. Viola Davis is Veronica, whose lover or husband Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) left her with the appearances of wealth, but little else. Rodriguez and Debicki fare even worse as they navigate in the wake of their now absent, abusive and gambling-addicted husbands. Collin Farrell plays Jack Mulligan, a politician from a long line of Chicago politicians – not least of which is Jack’s father, Tom (Robert Duvall). Mulligan the elder has rotted into a seedy, crooked and still brazenly power hungry worm of a man.
In the meantime, Jack Mulligan finds himself under suspicion for taking kickbacks. The missing money constantly undermines his credibility as a political candidate – even in Chicago. Nonetheless, Mulligan fuels his run for local alderman by developing political alliances of a questionable nature. These range from loan sharking minority women-owned businesses on one end, to buying off a local pastor because he boasts the largest congregation in the Chicago ward.
Brian Tyree Henry plays Jamal Manning, a local drug kingpin seeking to emulate the long-standing rapacious appetite for graft and corruption demonstrated by the Mulligan dynasty. Though Manning and Mulligan will face off in a special election just weeks away, it’s not clear that either outcome will change the fortunes of the overall community for the better.
Daniel Kaluuya is cast against type as Manning’s brother, Jatemme Manning. Kaluuya revels in a dark and devious character, delivering a performance that just might garner a Best Supporting Actor nod in January.
Cynthia Erivo and Adepero Oduye round out a robust cast, in this case as employee and employer at a neighborhood hair salon. Other standout supporting performances include Garret Dillahunt, as Veronica’s driver and Kevin O’Connor as a wheelchair-bound Bobby Welsh.
With keen directorial flair, McQueen takes the opportunity for some well-deserved social comment. When Elizabeth Debicki is instructed by Viola Davis to purchase three Glocks, Debicki asks where she’s going to find those? Davis responds impatiently, “This is America.”
In another scene, tragic rather than humorous, police pull over Veronica and Harry Rawling’s adolescent son for an improper U-turn. In a moment reminiscent of “The Hate U Give,” as the young man leans forward to return an item to the glove compartment, a trigger-happy white cop guns him down from behind with three bullets.
Extended 360-degree tracking shots and innovative camera positioning keep the action – even when there isn’t much of it – interesting. One wonderful single shot involves candidate Mulligan getting into his limousine after a reporter accosts him during a campaign speech. The car leaves the poor neighborhood, and while we can hear the heated conversation inside the vehicle, we also see the landscape changing during the ride. At one intersection, the dilapidated housing disappears near the edge of the council district’s boundaries. The car then stops at the only block of upscale residences in the entire ward – where the hypocritical Mulligans reside.
To say any more risks divulging plot spoilers. Though most of the first half of the movie seems too-heavily dependent on character development – albeit with the plethora of characters that makes the film a delight – the second half’s payoff more than compensates. “Widows” provides solid entertainment for audiences that appreciate an intricate narrative.
Now available on Digital HD and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ & DVD February 5th
