WIDOWS and Empowerment

Director Steve McQueen’s first feature since his Oscar winning 12 Years a Slave, Widows  delves into the real meaning of female empowerment and raises what would be a standard genre film to dizzying heights.  It is a triumph of acting led by Viola Davis.

In Chicago, four women married to professional thieves are left to fend for themselves when a big heist goes horribly wrong. With a huge debt to repay some dangerous characters, and left with notes from her dead husband, Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), Veronica (Viola Davis) has a business proposition for the other widows by planning a new heist to repay the debt and start a new life. But things are not as what they seem with corrupt politicians seeking money and power. These female amateurs must find the courage to not only protect their families but their very survival.

You find yourself caring and rooting for these women with limited options who must rely on each other in a male dominated world.  The film touches upon political and familial legacies, but also explores the precious bond of love where no one is perfect, and everyone has past sins.

Viola is marvelous as the leader who not only displays resourcefulness, but a vulnerability that makes for a fully realized performance. Her past is revealed through a series of key flashbacks which give clues to her current plight.  An acting ensemble includes Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Elizabeth Debicki, and others working off a screenplay by Gillian Flynn and McQueen.

The film has a methodical pace with a tense, climactic heist and some surprising twists. Although the finale is a bit open ended, this impressive film is an energetic study in loyalty and greed wrapped up with some powerful acting.

***1/2 of **** stars