FILM OF THE WEEK
Widows Cert: 16; Now showing
Heist movies are not traditionally based in realism, they’re about people beating reality. But Steve McQueen’s first film in five years, co-written with Gillian Flynn and based on a 1983 Lynda La Plante TV series, breaks that heist movie rule.
It is about reality. It’s a busy film, one which I expected to like a bit more than I did — oddly I felt the heist part almost didn’t fit in — and although it felt bitty and disjointed at times it did keep coming back, thanks to some great characters, wonderful acting and some great plot work.
Political correctness notwithstanding you do realise how rare it is to see an interracial couple when a film opens with one kissing. Veronica (Viola Davis) and Harry (Liam Neeson) are in bed but their happiness is short-lived for their scene is intercut with a chase scene, criminals being pursued by cops, a pursuit that ends in an explosion and Veronica becoming one of the widows. She discovers that not only is her husband dead, but she is broke and Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) the man from whom Harry stole $2m, gives her a month to pay it back. Her only asset is a notebook of Harry’s in which he has the details of his next heist. Rather than sell the plans she decides to team up with the other widows Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) and Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) to do the robbery, despite zero criminal experience.
Manning needs the money to win an election against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), son of Tom (Robert Duvall) and Manning’s psychotic brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) does the enforcing so there are lots of stars, lots of plot and it mostly works. The cast is fab, but Davis and Debicki really shine. HHHH AINE O’CONNOR