(July ‘25) MONTHLY MARATHON IN FILM - Viola Davis
July 2025 Monthly Film Marathon - Viola Davis - SPOILERS
Viola Davis, to me, was always just one of those incredibly good actresses in the paradigm. Her name was mentioned in conversation with some of the best of her era and this was ultimately the basis for me choosing her for a marathon this month. I was surprised to learn, this month, that Davis has a somewhat underwhelming filmography. She has several main actor roles but has mainly cut it in side gigs; supporting actress. She has also graced the television screen in “How to Get Away with Murder,” which I still believe most people know her for. So why take on an actress with such a limited career for a movie marathon? Why? because Viola is able to do so much with so little. Such is the talent of a true stage actress. You give her lines on a page and she creates a world out of it. She creates the characters, their dynamics with others, their relation to their time and environment. The last film of hers I watched was Doubt (2008). Viola appeared in the film for less than 5 minutes in total run time and she was nominated for an Oscar for it. She’s one of those actors that you know when you see. She’s not subtle. Her talent is loud; it's robust; but she can still somehow dial it up and down like a thermostat. Even when it’s very subtile, it’s there, and that’s something to behold.
This month, I began with The Help (2011), which might have been my fouree into Davis. Davis, more or less, plays the main character who is wrestling with her job and family as a maid in the Jim Crow south. Now let me say this cast is LOADED. It’s my guess that the last time I saw this was around the time when it came out, before I was familiar with actresses like Sissy Spacek, Allison Janey and Mary Steenburgen (And those are just the side-side characters). Octavia Spencer really displayed her character in this one and Emma Stone brought it home with her relatability. In this one, Viola grounds the rest of the cast with a calming grace. Her character is cautious. She knows from experience that one false move in this environment can mean everything. She is the opposite of Spencer’s character who is a bit more unapologetically brash. Overall, this first film help me develop my central thesis of this whole post which is that Davis is a master of conveying emotion.
(P.S.) Shout out Howard in this who may be one of the greatest villains in cinema history (or maybe not that take is a bit half-baked. give it some time.
“Love and hate are two horns on the same goat. And you need a goat.”
Next I saw Air (2023) which is not really a movie about Viola Davis. Davis plays Jordan’s mom, who is basically Jordan herself because she is the only figure that exists during the negotiation for the Jordan side. She is looking out for the best interest of her son and she holds her ground and asks for the moon. She knows her son’s value and she is right in the end. This is one of many roles that Viola does not have the largest part, but is still one of the most interesting parts of the movie.
“A shoe is just a shoe until my son steps into it.”
Widows (2018) was surprisingly good to me. It’s not the easiest watch overall. It’s gritty and dark like the streets of the grimey borough of Chicago. We expect Viola to be outwardly emotional but she is cold and dead inside. Externally-callused. A shell. When she realizes her husband is alive, we feel for her. We believe it. We understand where she’s coming from and where she wants to go. I don’t usually like ensemble films like this because theres usually a bit too much to focus on, but I guess if it all converges in the right way it’s fine. This was better than fine.
(P.S.) I really enjoyed the charisma of Cynthia Ervio in this. I saw Wicked (2024) and did not get it. In this, I get it. Great physical acting.
I saw G2O (2025). It wasn't good. Mostly because it wasn’t for me. But I thought it might be interesting to watch with Viola being an action star. Through this, it developed that Viola plays characters that are regal and powerful. Characters that have to overcome immense hurdles to get to where they are. All-in-all, the movie didn’t work. I think this role for her could work if it was taken seriously in a different context.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) was a hidden gem for me. Great surrounding parts. I like a flick where Domingo’s a smooth-talkin’ dapper Dan. Also- Chad as Levee. I was most surprised by this role because I’m so used to him as Black Panther. Levee is youthful, passionate and impulsive. Something totally different from what I was used to and it was very effective. Viola plays a similar role to her traditional archetype; a character with internal regality; she knows her worth even though others might not. You can hear the white characters in this call her “uppitty” behind her back. She acknowledges that if she doesn't act this way she’'ll be taken advantage of and that’s the way the world is. She has to be steadfast in defense of her art and hold the people producing it to the highest of standards. This is a story of American mainstream media capitalizing on the origins of black music and the blues. Once again, I am inclined to see this is a stage production.
Fences (2016) might be the Magnum Opus at this point. Viola plays the wife of Denzel (actor and director), who is a disgruntled, drunk, washed-up ball player that took a job as a garbage man to support his family. The film is largely about Washington’s character and how he recons with the mistakes he makes throughout his life, but Davis is there as a sparring partner; acting and reacting to his conflicting nature. Denzel is sad, bitter and resentful about how his life turned out which is partially due to the racism of the time knocking him into the ground (and him being a veteran). He’s a hard-ass because he’s insecure and he (somewhat honorably) want to ensure that his son’s life doesn’t turn out the way that his did. Viola got some criticism for this part for her over-acting, but I read somewhere that she responded by saying that that was BS and that life is filled with over-the-top emotion. Ultimately I concur, but I think that this acting piece was more a reflection of the stage-style that Davis is so comfortable with; in which you have to act your ass off for the cheap seats in the back. Your eye-twitches have to be big. Your gesticulations; big. Your tears; big. I don’t think it was the wrong choice for this (especially against Denzel you have to do something that can rival the energy he brings (and by the way she does this and more)); but it was a choice.
Lastly, we have Doubt (2008). All 3-and-a-half minutes of her performance she was going to town. Not over the top this time. This was a good place to end with her me thinks because it was a great piece of compact, concise acting. Davis is on her way to work while simultaneously being told by her son’s headmaster that he has an indecent relationship with one of the priests. Now, what would you have to do to be in a movie with Phil Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams and not totally disappear in a 3.5 minute performance? The answer you ask? Be Viola Davis. We, the viewer watch on the edge of our seats as we wait for Davis to react to the information that has been implied throughout the first act of the film. We want her to get mad, get pissed; to tear off down the street to gut the priest from head to toe. She doesn’t do this. She keeps walking and says…
“It’s just ‘til June.”
We react with Streep. What kind of mother are you?! But then reality hits us like a freight. This is the cost of ensuring the boys future. This is a world that will grind him up, and everyone in his life must make sacrifices for him to have the best shot. It’s a tragic moment, but it’s summed up with beauty.
Davis is one of the best actors working today. Period. It’s a shame she does’t have more opportunity to be the lead in more projects, but I also know that she will do wonderfully with whatever small part she is given. She probably has the best value to screen time ratio in all of Hollywood. Good on her. I’m a fan for life.
