I went to see the much lauded crime film Widows tonight, and although it wasn't quite what I expected, it proved to be a stylish thriller which relied heavily on the performance and presence of the actors involved rather than just plain action.
The main plot revolves around Veronica ( Viola Davis) the wife of an armed robber who had been killed alongside his henchmen after completing their final robbery. Caught up between the corruption within a black versus while Mayoral contest she conscripts two other of the gang's widows ( Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki ) and later a self assured babysitter single mom (Cynthia Ervio) to complete her husband's final planned heist .
The women all have different agendas in the operation and Director Steve McQueen tells their stories economically but incredibly effectively, with Davis' central performance being a standout. Rodriguez gives the quartet some dignity while Debicki 's second generation Polish moll is incredibly moving as she realises that she is worth more than just being a high class hooker, a job arranged for her by her mother. Coming late into the story is Ervio who says little but who provides a wonderfully physical performance as Belle, she's one to watch
There is some graphic violence and an incredibly evil turn by Danial Kaluuya as a grinning henchman.....oh and Colin Farrell and Robert Durvall turn up too ( a bit irritatingly for me) as father and son mayors....
8/10