Viola Davis’s commanding presence is unspoken – one of those things we all know to be true and just have to agree on like Die Hard is a Christmas movie and In-N-Out’s fries are terrible. She’s inimitable when it comes to inspiring speeches, and from the moment she opens her mouth, you’re prepared to be compelled. But her role as Veronica comes not from her signature vitality and strength, but from her vulnerability and weakness.
Davis attempts to give voice to her fellow widows, who, like her, were all crushed by the men who controlled them in exchange for the illusion of having it all. She attempts to be den mother, friend, and savior to this unlikely group of newbie criminals, while trying to save herself from the turmoil her husband left behind.
Although she puts on a tough-as-nails exterior, she is as scared as the rest of them, only to reveal in powerful strokes of courage amidst crippling self-doubt that sometimes you have to lose everything to find yourself and muster strength you didn’t know you had. The deftness she exudes bringing this nuanced character to life is so breathtaking, they should invent a new award for it.
Photo: 20th Century Fox