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| Author | DCM |
DCM's Nicholas Price shares his thoughts on one of the highlights from this year's London Film Festival, Widows.
Widows, one of the early Oscar contenders, hitting UK Cinemas from Tuesday 6 November, is a slick, stylish and brutal adapted screenplay brought to us by 12 Years a Slave director, Steve McQueen and Gone Girl writer/producer, Gillian Flynn.
This film has been adapted from Lynda La Plante’s book with the same title, and follows the story of four Chicago-based, gangland widows who have recently lost their husbands to a failed heist. Inheriting the mess and debts left by their late husbands, Veronica (Viola Davis) convinces Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice (Elizabeth Dubicki) to team together to attempt to pull off the next heist in Veronica’s husband’s, Harry Rawling’s (Liam Neeson), plans to pay back Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) and his brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) the $2 million before time is up.
The intensity and excitement of this film throughout, draws parallels to The Town (2010), a brilliant heist film from Ben Affleck, and likewise keeps you fully engaged from start to finish. The creative and intuitive directing style from McQueen in this film, particularly with scenes like the argument in the car between Colin Farrell’s character, Jack Mulligan, and Siobhan, played by Molly Kunz, and Jatemme’s interrogation scene in a church, are so original and draw no comparisons, as he once again shows why he is such a cherished director in Hollywood, and likely to be in contention for Best Director at next year’s awards.
With such a great ensemble cast, there’s a lack of stand-out lead actor/lead actress awards contenders here, however a special mention must go to Daniel Kaluuya, who is flawless as the stand-out villain of the film. Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Dubicki are great collectively as the focus of the film and some brilliant performances from the likes of Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson, at times steal the show.
Widows, is well worth the watch for the plot line, the intensity and the overall enjoyment. Prepare to be shocked at times, but most importantly, get ready to leave a cinema impressed and satisfied with yet another Steve McQueen class act.