She is 93 but you wouldn’t know it from her confident stride, her independent manner and her curiosity about current affairs. Thelma (June Squibb) is getting along just fine, thank you. She has recently lost her husband but, as she tells a friend, she doesn’t mind the solitude. Her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) dotes on her and she loves him too, but she finds his concern suffocating.
When Thelma falls for a phone scam, is she annoyed over the loss of money or the embarrassment of being fussed over by her family? Thelma recruits her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree) for Operation Revenge, in which hearing aids play a big part.
Josh Margolin’s delightful fairy tale is out on JioCinema. Margolin’s screenplay is as rigorous as it is light-hearted, looking at the problems and prejudices associated with ageing while delivering a giddy romp for its nonagenarian heroine.
The 98-minute film has one of the most adorably slow chase sequences. Margolin also makes room for Daniel, a slacker whose lack of resolve is contrasted with Thelma’s determination to hunt down the scammers.
The movie dexterously balances comedy with poignancy, especially in the scenes between Thelma and Ben. One of the most affecting moments, which comes towards the end, is inspired by Margolin’s own grandmother.
Although June Squibb has been an actor since 1948, Thelma is her first starring role. Squibb was the same age as her character when she filmed Thelma. Squibb is a knockout, effortlessly shuffling across the screen and handling the action sequences with ease.
Richard Roundtree – the actor who played the iconic detective Shaft and died in 2023 – is wonderful too as Thelma’s reluctant partner in crime. Malcom McDowell has an important cameo – another sign of the film’s respect for older actors.
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