“Thelma” Review
Richard Roundtree (Left) and June Squibb go on a search for money and revenge in “Thelma”, a clever and excellent action-comedy that showcases the talents of the Oscar-nominated Squibb while also being a wonderful swan song for the late Roundtree.
Despite the 18 to 34-year-old age demographic still being the most lucrative, I like seeing films about old people. One of my most formative moviegoing experiences as a child was watching “Up” on the big screen and my love for elderly protagonists has continued with films like “A Man Called Ove”, “The Straight Story” and “Gran Tornino” all having interesting old protagonists. From a similar vein comes “Thelma” which I could not recommend highly enough. Aside from a phenomenal performance from the great June Squibb, “Thelma” is equal parts humor and heart with enough entertainment value to provide something of worth to every age group.
Two years after losing her husband, 93-year-old Thelma (June Squibb) is trying to navigate life on her own terms and is trying maintain her independence despite the insistence of more care by her daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg). The only person that she feels she can spend time with and casually talk to is her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) who is going through his own struggles of feeling lost in his twenties. When Thelma falls victim to a phone scam and loses $10,000, she goes on a quest to get back the money with the aid of Ben (Richard Roundtree), one of her few surviving friends with a ride albeit an electric scooter.
Based on writer/director Josh Margolin’s actual 103-year-old grandmother Thelma, June Squibb’s performance is nothing short of exciting, engaging and adorable. Now 94 years old, June Squibb really proves that age is just a number with her scoring an Oscar-nomination a decade ago for “Nebraska” and now having her first leading role as this sweet woman seeking retribution with inspiration from the action movies she watches with her grandson. What so many films miss the mark on with elderly characters is that they either make them too sage-like or too-grumpy (not that those characteristics are uncommon). Thelma Post feels like a real person, with the determination that I have seen in many a 90-year-old who still feels like they’ve got some good living to do.
Squibb shares much of her screentime with the late Richard Roundtree who kills it with his final performance. As much as he will always be remembered for his performance as Shaft, who they say is a bad motherfucker, his performance as Ben is a perfect foil for Squibb with his character feeling more resigned to the limits of his age while Thelma wants to push past them.
What these characters, and the film as a whole have, is this great balance of comedy and drama. In one scene, Thelma can make me laugh so hard with her determination to get a gun so she can get her money back but she can also make me tear up when she talks about how all of her friends are either dead or senile. The film even ventures into dark comedy when dealing with its more sensitive subject because, if you’ve ever been around old people, joking about death is really the only way to talk about it without losing your mind.
Alongside comedy and drama, there’s a great sense of action while also leaning into the humorous limits. Since neither Ben nor Thelma have a license, a chase involves electric scooters. In some scenes, the big source of suspense isn’t whether June Squibb can outrun a tank, it’s whether or not she’ll fall over while reaching for something because she might not be able to get back up. The film makes plenty of jokes related to age but it’s not the typical, underwritten humor you might expect where the punchline is always “it’s because they’re old.” This film feels like it was made with care and Margolin deserves much praise for this.
I also found myself enjoying Fred Hechinger’s performance as Thelma’s 24-year-old grandson. Maybe it’s because he’s the same age as me but there was something very comforting when Thelma and Danny are sitting on the couch and Thelma reminds him just how young he truly is. The relationship between the two is completely genuine and you feel such warmth watching it transpire.
If there’s one thing I can take away from “Thelma”, it’s that I want more films about old people. I’m not talking about stuff like “Book Club” or “Summer Camp” which feels more like big-budget Hallmark (although I acknowledge those films do have a comforting feeling that makes their appeal more understandable). I mean something that feels personal and has something far more meaningful attached to it. I mean, how many films about lost twenty-somethings can we make? We all clamor so much for youth that we forget the expression “the older the violin, the sweeter the music”. If that has any truth to it, then the song of “Thelma” is sweet indeed.
