by Josh Sewell
Thelma
(Rated PG-13 for strong language. Opens in theaters on June 21.)
June Squibb has been a recognizable face in movies and television shows since the 1990s, but she’s never had a leading role until Thelma, the action comedy that hits theaters this weekend. Granted, she got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress thanks to her work in Alexander Payne’s 2013 film Nebraska, but I can almost guarantee more people will see her new flick over the next few days than ever saw that one.
Not just because Thelma is already a critical darling (it’s currently rocking a 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) thanks to Squibb’s endearing work, but also because it marks the late, great Richard Roundtree’s final performance. That’s a shame, of course, but he sure picked a terrific role to go out on.
Thelma, the feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, finds him taking inspiration from his own grandmother in this tale of an unlikely action hero. Squibb plays the titular character, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a scammer pretending to be her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger). Rather than let the crook get away with it, she sets out on a revenge-fueled adventure across Los Angeles.
Accompanied by her friend Ben (Roundtree) and his snazzy motorized scooter, Thelma is determined to reclaim the $10,000 that was stolen from her. While she embarks on her quest, her guilt-ridden grandson and his parents (played by Clark Gregg and Parker Posey) embark on their own mission to track her down.
This good-natured indie plays like a Mission: Impossible flick minus the world-altering stakes. Margolin pays homage to that franchise by showing Thelma and her grandson watching one of the movies on TV, and he also thanks Tom Cruise in the closing credits.
Still, although it’s funny and endearing to watch Thelma treat an everyday task like online banking as if it’s complex espionage, the story never loses sight of how important the crisis is to the protagonist. She’s already struggling with the loss of her independence and the world moving on without her, so she correctly sees this adventure as a chance to regain some semblance of agency and independence.
Squibb is having quite the summer. In addition to her work in Thelma, which deserves to put her in the Best Actress conversation, she also has a small role as Nostalgia in the animated blockbuster Inside Out 2. It’s great to see a performer who’s been working consistently in relative anonymity for decades finally get her moment to shine.
A character like Thelma could’ve easily been a clichéd joke in the wrong hands. We’ve seen it plenty of times: a foul-mouthed granny who shows those disrespectful relatives a thing or two. Fortunately, Margolin’s relationship with his real-life grandmother instills this fictional version with lots of heart and pathos.
The same goes for Thelma’s family members. Daniel might be a bit of a doofus, but he genuinely cares for his grandmother and goes out of his way to make sure she’s taken care of. When she disappears on her mission, you can see he’s genuinely worried about her and is appropriately hard on himself for letting her sneak away. Daniel’s parents are a little more two-dimensional, but Gregg and Posey keep them entertaining. Their sheer talent prevents them from feeling too much like stereotypes.
The great Malcolm McDowell also delivers a memorable performance as the film’s big bad, although Margolin even provides his character with a credible motive and backstory. Despite only being in a single scene, McDowell establishes a dynamic with Squibb and Roundtree that makes him a memorable antagonist.
Speaking of Roundtree, his performance in Thelma is simply phenomenal: he delivers some of the film’s most nuanced, affecting work. Honestly, if distributor Magnolia plays its cards right, there’s a chance to make the beloved actor – who died last October – a major part of the Best Supporting Actor conversation. I can’t believe the guy who played Shaft doesn’t have an Oscar, but Thelma offers a perfect opportunity to finally reward him for a long career full of great performances. I just wish it didn’t have to be posthumously.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Immaculate
(Rated R for strong and bloody violent content, grisly images, nudity and some language. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
The physical media release of NEON’s nunsploitation horror flick comes on the heels of the indie’s massive success at the box office. It quickly became an audience favorite and grossed almost $27 million worldwide on a relatively tiny budget.
Current industry “it girl” Sydney Sweeney plays Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith recently assigned to a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Her warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. The Blu-ray and DVD version of “Immaculate” also features bonus commentary by director Michael Mohan.
(Rated PG-13 for strong language. Opens in theaters on June 21.)
June Squibb has been a recognizable face in movies and television shows since the 1990s, but she’s never had a leading role until Thelma, the action comedy that hits theaters this weekend. Granted, she got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress thanks to her work in Alexander Payne’s 2013 film Nebraska, but I can almost guarantee more people will see her new flick over the next few days than ever saw that one.
Not just because Thelma is already a critical darling (it’s currently rocking a 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) thanks to Squibb’s endearing work, but also because it marks the late, great Richard Roundtree’s final performance. That’s a shame, of course, but he sure picked a terrific role to go out on.
Thelma, the feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, finds him taking inspiration from his own grandmother in this tale of an unlikely action hero. Squibb plays the titular character, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a scammer pretending to be her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger). Rather than let the crook get away with it, she sets out on a revenge-fueled adventure across Los Angeles.
Accompanied by her friend Ben (Roundtree) and his snazzy motorized scooter, Thelma is determined to reclaim the $10,000 that was stolen from her. While she embarks on her quest, her guilt-ridden grandson and his parents (played by Clark Gregg and Parker Posey) embark on their own mission to track her down.
This good-natured indie plays like a Mission: Impossible flick minus the world-altering stakes. Margolin pays homage to that franchise by showing Thelma and her grandson watching one of the movies on TV, and he also thanks Tom Cruise in the closing credits.
Still, although it’s funny and endearing to watch Thelma treat an everyday task like online banking as if it’s complex espionage, the story never loses sight of how important the crisis is to the protagonist. She’s already struggling with the loss of her independence and the world moving on without her, so she correctly sees this adventure as a chance to regain some semblance of agency and independence.
Squibb is having quite the summer. In addition to her work in Thelma, which deserves to put her in the Best Actress conversation, she also has a small role as Nostalgia in the animated blockbuster Inside Out 2. It’s great to see a performer who’s been working consistently in relative anonymity for decades finally get her moment to shine.
A character like Thelma could’ve easily been a clichéd joke in the wrong hands. We’ve seen it plenty of times: a foul-mouthed granny who shows those disrespectful relatives a thing or two. Fortunately, Margolin’s relationship with his real-life grandmother instills this fictional version with lots of heart and pathos.
The same goes for Thelma’s family members. Daniel might be a bit of a doofus, but he genuinely cares for his grandmother and goes out of his way to make sure she’s taken care of. When she disappears on her mission, you can see he’s genuinely worried about her and is appropriately hard on himself for letting her sneak away. Daniel’s parents are a little more two-dimensional, but Gregg and Posey keep them entertaining. Their sheer talent prevents them from feeling too much like stereotypes.
The great Malcolm McDowell also delivers a memorable performance as the film’s big bad, although Margolin even provides his character with a credible motive and backstory. Despite only being in a single scene, McDowell establishes a dynamic with Squibb and Roundtree that makes him a memorable antagonist.
Speaking of Roundtree, his performance in Thelma is simply phenomenal: he delivers some of the film’s most nuanced, affecting work. Honestly, if distributor Magnolia plays its cards right, there’s a chance to make the beloved actor – who died last October – a major part of the Best Supporting Actor conversation. I can’t believe the guy who played Shaft doesn’t have an Oscar, but Thelma offers a perfect opportunity to finally reward him for a long career full of great performances. I just wish it didn’t have to be posthumously.
Grade: B+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Rated R for strong and bloody violent content, grisly images, nudity and some language. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
The physical media release of NEON’s nunsploitation horror flick comes on the heels of the indie’s massive success at the box office. It quickly became an audience favorite and grossed almost $27 million worldwide on a relatively tiny budget.
Current industry “it girl” Sydney Sweeney plays Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith recently assigned to a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Her warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. The Blu-ray and DVD version of “Immaculate” also features bonus commentary by director Michael Mohan.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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