Widows reviews

The Original BJ
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Re: Widows reviews

Post by The Original BJ »

Comparisons to The Departed strike me as pretty appropriate. Not in the sense that I'm declaring "here's the Best Picture winner!" -- I've always thought the centrifugal force of Scorsese's long-overdue status helped carry that film over the finish line -- but this is another thriller for grown-ups with a twisty plot, a wicked sense of humor, and real dramatic resonance, all orchestrated by a singular filmmaker with a superb command of the medium.

I don't think the Steve McQueen touch can be underestimated here -- so often I found myself marveling at the way he frames a shot, and stages his actors within it, often picking less-obvious points of view to bring out added meaning in the text. (The shot of Colin Farrell talking to his assistant while being driven in the car is a great example -- they carry on a whole conversation out of frame while the camera focuses on the neighborhood around them and their driver, all of which provides compelling contrast to the actual text of their dialogue.)

The premise is the kind of thing that could have been played for laughs in a more Ocean's 11-type movie -- a group of women who lose their husbands in a botched robbery must band together to pull off a heist without any real criminal experience or knowhow. But this film brings out the desperation of these women, whose survival (in every definition of the word) depends on their ability to work together to accomplish this very daunting task. And along the way, the film finds all kinds of insightful moments of observation on race, class, gender, and politics as their storylines criss cross with one about a local Chicago election, making this a thriller that feels very timely and very American, despite being based on a decades-old British TV series.

It also, as one would expect from a script with Gillian Flynn's name on it, has some big plot surprises, which of course I wouldn't dare spoil here. But I will comment (without spoilers) on the effectiveness of the biggest plot turn, because I was so impressed by HOW McQueen and Flynn relayed this information to us. Another film might have dwelled on the "gotcha" of the narrative left hook, but in this one that's almost an afterthought -- we've already moved on to wrestling with the emotional impact and suspense of HOW one character will handle the situation in the moment, as well as how that person's actions will change going forward. For me, this wasn't a movie that layered on one increasingly outlandish twist after another (like, say, the obviously-ridiculous A Simple Favor), but one whose narrative turns were thoroughly organic to the story, integrated effectively and completely in sync with the film's themes.

And like The Departed, it's got a big ensemble with everyone delivering strong work. (I don't see how SAG passes on nominating this one). Viola Davis gets another pretty strong Viola Davis role, full of steely stoicism and lots of eyes-watering/single tear moments -- a lot of other characters get moments of comic relief, but she's the dead-serious center of the movie, and her gravitas helps ground the film significantly. She's yet another competitor for what appears to be a bloodbath for Best Actress nominations. Of the supporting cast, I easily rate Elizabeth Debicki the strongest, simply because she shows the most range, pulling off moments of quite-funny comedy in some scenes while nailing the dramatic anguish of her character in others.

I'd read some takes that questioned whether this was "serious" enough to make an Oscar play, and that strikes me as a peculiar take at this moment. Widows is a pretty mainstream piece of work -- I can imagine a broad audience getting a big kick out of it -- but it's also one that's obviously crafted by an artist, which is basically Oscar's sweet spot. And it's hardly a slight little thing -- unless we're just saying that "serious" means "it's a period biography," I find it hard to make the argument that it's too lightweight a piece of work for consideration. And the fact that its story centers around a multicultural band of strong women gives it obvious extra relevance in this climate. We'll see how box office goes, but my first instinct is that this movie could do quite well this season.
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Re: Widows reviews

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"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
Mister Tee
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Re: Widows reviews

Post by Mister Tee »

Add Variety.

You know, if you'd told me, after Hunger and Shame, that this director would go on to make a best picture winner, I'd have been skeptical. But I think I'd have been even more startled to hear he'd make a super-entertaining heist film.

https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/w ... 202933692/
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Precious Doll
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Re: Widows reviews

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"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
Sabin
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Widows reviews

Post by Sabin »

This year is really heating up. Especially in the field of Best Actress. Although to be fair, since 2015 that's always been the case. If/when Viola Davis is nominated this year, I believe she will be the most nominated woman of color with a whopping... four.

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/09/widow ... 202000529/
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