Discover the Agojié. Thistribe of African warriors are the heroines of The Woman King, the new film by Gina Prince-Bythewood(The Old Guard, on Netflix). The film airs this Friday, September 29, at 11:45pm on Canal+. The film stars Viola Davis(Best Actress Oscar winner for Fences), Lashana Lynch(Dying Can Wait) and John Boyega ( Star Wars saga).
The Woman King tells the extraordinary story of the Agojié, a unit of female warriors who protected the kingdom of Dahomey in 19th-century West Africa. Their skills and fury have never been matched. Inspired by true events, it follows the epic destiny of General Nanisca (Viola Davis), who trains a new generation of recruits and prepares them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. There are values worth defending...
Here's a film that would certainly have been more effective with 30 minutes less. After the first introductory battle, you'll be locked in with the Agojiés in the king's palace for a good part of the film, where all the female warriors train and apprentices are trained. This is clearly the longest part of the film. It allows us to get to know the environment in which the characters evolve, but there's not much going on. Battle scenes are rare and the plot flat.
Fortunately, a jolt of energy wakes you up about halfway through the film, which finally takes on the breadth of its promise. From then on, an anti-slavery crusade gets underway, and the film's feminist,Black Lives Matter-influenced message really comes into its own. It's not always successful, and some of the subplots are clumsy, but it's still effective enough to be appreciated.
Fortunately, the lead actresses give enough of themselves to carry the film on their own. Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch in particular are perfect in their roles.
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