23/07/24

Cineworld, Edinburgh

Hollywood rarely manages to find projects for older female actors so it’s heartening to witness seasoned veteran June Squibb taking on her first lead role at the tender age of ninety-four. This kind of project can often be unbearably cute, an opportunity to smile condescendingly at the funny things old ladies tend to say, but Sundance hit Thelma, written and directed by Josh Margolin, is perfectly pitched and utterly charming, managing to exploit the tropes of a Mission Impossible style caper while never stepping beyond the realms of credulity. No mean feat.

Thelma is slowly coming to terms with the death of her beloved husband two years earlier and, with the help of her grandson, the hapless but loveable Daniel (Fred Hechinger), she’s managing to adjust to the changing and sometimes bewildering world in which she lives. When, out of the blue, she gets a call from ‘Daniel’ telling her that he is in trouble and needs her to send $10,000 dollars in cash to a PO box, she doesn’t hesitate to follow the instructions she is given, never pausing to question the situation. Of course, she’s been scammed. Her daughter, Gail (Parker Posey), and son in law, Alan (Clark Gregg), begin to wonder if its time to for Thelma to go into a home. Meanwhile the police tell the family that there’s nothing much they can do to help retrieve those lost funds.

But, inspired by the Tom Cruise movies that Thelma enjoys so much, she decides that she’s not ready to give up so easily. She enlists the help of her old friend Ben (Richard Roundtree, in his final role), who is now in a retirement home and is the proud owner of a state-of-the-art mobility scooter. Backed by Nick Chuba’s propulsive score, the duo head off into the night to stake out the PO box in the hope of finding the scammer that did Thelma wrong.

One other thing. They’re going to need a gun…

Thelma is a hoot, weaving expertly between laugh-out-loud jokes and nail-biting suspense. While our aged protagonists can hardly take on the kind of stunts that are the staple of a Tom Cruise movie, their scaled-down antics prove to be just as exciting. For a nonagenarian, even climbing an unfamiliar staircase is a potentially dangerous challenge, and a chase in a motorised mobility aid can be a heart stopper.

It’s not just thrills and spills. The film has plenty to say about the importance of friendship and the indignities of old age: a reminder that we shouldn’t write people off because of their advanced years. It also features the most unlikely performance of Little Orphan Annie you’re ever likely to witness. Squibb is terrific and the late Richard Roundtree – best remembered as the titular hero of 1971’s Shaft – has chanced upon the perfect farewell for his long career. Watch out for the villain of the piece too. It might take you a few moments to recognise him, but that really is Malcolm McDowell! And don’t get up from your seat too quickly because you’ll miss a brief cameo from the woman who inspired the film: Josh Margolin’s grandma, still going strong at 103!

Thelma hasn’t had the widest of releases but keep an eye open for it at your local cinema. It’s an absolute joy.

5 stars

Philip Caveney