There is a great heightening to the quality of The Woman King that occurs from the pure matter of visibility.  The Woman King is a film we have seen an abundance of times before, but never really in this way. Do I say that referring to a fresh visual sense? A different complex script dynamic perhaps? No, I talk solely about representation. Now does that elevate the film culturally and in the grand scheme of the industry, hopefully yes. Does that elevate the film itself any? Not really when you break it down. At the end of the day The Woman King is a very standard issue feature that was predictable almost to a fault for me, in a way that went beyond tropes and obvious cliché, but went into every aspect. The film is incredibly solid and I wouldn’t call it average, but it’s certainly not anything above a 7 for me.

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Dana Stevens screenplays are a sometimes great and sometimes very bad combination of very high concept pieces, normally originating from other sources. This is a case where Stevens is working “with a story from” the great actress Maria Bello (I don’t know where the lines of fiction and real life ended up with a story credit if I’m honest), who also served as a producer on the film. Stevens script brings the world of the historical epic to a series of partially true, partially fictionalised events set in an Africa of the 18th century. We follow the female led army of warriors of the Dahomey kingdom as they come to war with a different kingdom who is in current dealings with Europeans purchasing Africans for the slave trade. Now this is subject matter that is of vital importance to the film, whilst also simplifying certain vital matters and making deeply complex issues a little surface level when it comes to the heroes of our tale. Stevens script as directed by Prince-BytheWood however becomes a far simpler and more effective action-drama tale. Prince-BytheWood directs her film to be a compelling piece of action and drama in equal measures, chronicling more directly the story of Thus Mdebu as she joins the Dahomey tribe and becomes a warrior amongst the best of them. Stevens script is formulaic, features whole sub-lots so ripe to be lifted and removed its infuriating and overall has little of freshness or excitement in its dialogue as written either. The whole film being successful is a matter of elevation.

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Prince-BytheWood elevates it with her very solid directorial aptness for action and drama, but even then the film falls into certain holes when it comes to scope. The film really does feel large and epic in many regards, however this is then leant to the plotting and narrative to little effect. The set-pieces are grand in scope and well directed for the most part, but still felt rather by the numbers in regards to the action. Many times the film’s clearly well choreographed action pieces would be edited and directed to a state of near complete dilution taking away all intended impact. It was refreshing when the camera would just pull back and let us see whole moments. However this was the refreshing minority, certainly not the rule. Time and time again in fact for a film with a key action element, the film felt like it was rushing through these sequences to get to sections that were just nowhere near as interesting. Prince-Bythewood has made a film that for the most part feels wholly cliché, but on the rarity feels like a fresh return to a fashion of film we don’t get anywhere near as often nowadays. But is it much more than a sub-par version of something we no longer get? Not really. The closest we get to greatness – Well, no, we do get there – is with our chief quartet of performances. Despite the marketing the lead actress here is Thuso Mbedu, despite the film’s narrative tangents, this is her movie and it is her story that leads us on our way. She is excellent here and an exciting fresh face to watch. Viola Davis is our co-lead I would say and is just as sublime and effortlessly powerfully as you’d expect. Her range of dynamic vitality and pained subtlety and trauma offers an incredibly effecting turn, that paired with Mbedu makes for a startlingly combination. Sheila Atim has less time to make great waves with her role, but no less delivers a sturdy and great performance as Davis’s right hand counsellor. However Lashana Lynch steals the show as a character whose arc and whole persona we have seen many times before, however she still gives the role an exciting and fresh power. Lynch offers a vitality that helps the film through some it’s slower extended sequences, which for a film that hits as well as it does when it hits, has a surprising amount of.

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This is the exact sort of 6/10 big budget adult action drama that I’m always longing for, now that I have it, am I happy? Sure. This overall was a little underwhelming for me. The film is solid and Prince-Bythewood is a great director working with solid material. Is it of an immense quality beyond this? For me, unfortunately not. At times even a little boringly formulaic. With the weakest element certainly being the script. Prince Bythe-Wood’s direction is solid. But it is the film having some of the great performances of the year where the elevation of the material comes from. Davis, Lynch, Atim and Mbedu are all truly excellent and make this film something beyond average, but nothing too extra-ordinary as a whole product for me unfortunately.

P.S. I don’t think we will get anymore of Lashana Lynch as Nomi in the world of the Bond franchise, which is a shame, so let us please continue giving this woman fun and likeable action roles as shown in No Time to Die and also now, here too.

-         - Thomas Carruthers