Widows

When anyone mentions a heist movie with women it brings up an image of the slick Oceans Eight. But now, the genre will bring Widows to top that field as a well tuned exciting ride directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) written with Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl). Taken from an ITV series from 1983 and 1985 of the same name this film is set in 2008. McQueen juggles the excitement of a heist story with issues of raceism, sexism, police brutality, political shenanigans and interracial marriage with a tight ensemble of actors.

Viola Davis plays Veronica Rawlings who is married to Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson). They seem to have a loving relationship but underneath they are grieving the death of their son who was shot by a cop. Veronica and Harry live a good upscale life so when he dies in a robbery gone wrong she is left adrift. Not really aware or maybe taking a blind eye to what Harry was involved with she finds herself being threatened by Jamal Manning (Bryan Tyree Henry) a politician running for alderman of a South Side precinct, against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) the son of the incumbent Tome Mulligan (Robert Duvall). Jamal tells her that Harry owes him two million dollars that he stole from him. She has a few weeks to get it back to him.

Veronica finds a notebook left by Harry that lists all his jobs with plans in detail of every operation. There is one still to do that promises a five million dollar payout. She looks up the widows of Harry's crew: Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) who ran a dress shop which she lost after her husband had given it in payment for his debts to gangsters and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) who was abused by her husband and her mother Agnieska (Jacki Weaver). The third widow Amanda (Carrie Coons) does not come to their gathering as she has a new born child so she is not told of Veronica's plans. Since the women are at their financial ends, the promise of million dollars is an incentive. They later bring in Belle (Cynthia Erivo), Linda's babysitter and salon worker, as the driver when the Rawlings driver is killed by Mannings brother and enforcer Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya).

There are so many layers to this story. Each reveal keeps one intrigued. The way the women are challenged from their norms to work together to finding strength in themselves. The women are very real and fierce in their own ways. All of the pieces seem to be out there on their own but it all comes together at the end for a satisfying conclusion. There are surprising twists and turns, gunplay, car chases, and righteous justice. This is one movie that is worth seeing again, even when you know how it ends. It's just THAT good.
(Review by reesa)