As I queued at 8:15 am on a breezy October morning, I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for. I knew it was about a heist and there was a political element to the story and there were four awesome women at the center of it all. As I was handed a copy of the book the film was based on, I started to get more excited. It wasn't what I had expected, it was far better.
When renowned thief Harry Rawlings is killed in a robbery gone wrong along with three of his partners, their widows are left behind with varying problems of their own. After Veronica Rawling is threatened by crime boss Jamal Manning, who's money Harry was stealing. Knowing that each of the wives will eventually be targeted, Veronica enlists, now single mother and small business owner Linda and Alice, who's has turned to escorting to support herself. Bringing in Belle, the four women plan a heist from what Harry left behind.
Based on the 80s British TV series of the same name, written by crime writer Lynda La Plante, the premise of four widows who's criminal husbands are killed in a job gone wrong, so decide to take over the final job themselves is gripping enough without the add cast power and the keen eye of Steve McQueen. It's a thriller that seems familiar, with the politics, corruption and betrayl making up the background. The real story is about these four women who are capable of more than they give themselves credit for. When these women are threatened, they don't cower in a corner, they take a stand and fight back. And its glorious.
It's esay to see how the story would play out in a TV series. With a multitide of characters to explore, politician Jack Mulligan and his strained relationship with his father and his desire to do something else, the Manning brothers who are crime bosses but want to do some good in their community and even the lesser seen characters such as the wife who wasn't involved with the heist, Amanda but even though there was quite a few players in the game, McQueen along with Gillian Flynn who co-wrote the screenplay, manage to condense several plot lines into a streamlined high stakes thriller.
With four lead roles for women, all bringing something different to the heist table, they all had characters that were more than the 'wife' role. Viola Davis obviously stands out and not just because she and her dog Olivia are an amazing duo just them, but she bring command and realisations to the group all the while masking her real pain over the loss of her husband. As out of all the couples, they seemed the happiest and strongest. And one last thing about the dog, Olivia, is a Westie, a west highland terrier, my favourite breed of dog. She is adorable and I'm so glad of all the screen time she has.
No one puts Olivia in the corner.
McQueen's version of 'Widows' offer more than a straightforward heist film. There are dirty politics and family struggles being played out, alongside some cchilling scenes from the chamleon that is Daniel Kaluuya who is Manning's younger more violent brother. The film is a cold hard look at crime and how no one cares about your grief, not when there's money on the line.