Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writers: Dana Stevens(screenplay by), Maria Bello(story by)
Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Jimmy Odukoya, Masali Baduza, Jayme Lawson
‘The Woman King’ is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.
It was the success of ‘Black Panther’ that enabled ‘The Woman King’ to be produced, by showing that a big movie with a black cast could be a winner. Producer Cathy Schulman spoke on this in a press statement; “Black Panther just showed us how the power of imagination and lore could reveal a world without gender and racial stereotypes. The Woman King will tell one of history’s greatest forgotten stories from the real world in which we live, where an army of African warrior women staved off slavery, colonialism and inter-tribal warfare to unify a nation.”
In this movie Viola Davis is at her most fierce, establishing herself as a formidable force who is not to be feared or underestimated. She has great on screen chemistry with Thuso Mbedu who plays Nawi, and Mbedu is certainly a star in the making. She portrays Nawi with a sense of innocence, but possessing a fierceness without sacrificing her compassion. Davis and Mbedu are enough to carry this entire film from start to finish, and watching their relationship grow throughout the duration of the film is just beautiful.
Not only does ‘The Woman King’ tell an incredible story, it celebrates strong black women, their souls, minds and bodies. It’s an epic story told by some powerful actors, a film that’s set itself up for success during award season. This is a movie not to be missed.
‘The Woman King’ is in cinemas on the 27th of October.
Email: [email protected]
Neill Frazer
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