Thelma

A quiet movie about age and how we will always need help at some point in our lives, this poignant little film is an interesting perspective on life. While agreeing that sometimes a little adventure is what we need, sometimes all we need to do is admit that we need help. This film is about an old lady who lost her husband attempting to maintain her independence. I will not spoil anything else and tell you to go watch this movie ahead of the review because it is beyond worth a watch. Let's get into Thelma!

PLOT: A slow burn!

This film has a premise that's silly beyond belief, but uses the premise to explore people rather than tell a fantastic story. The plot is paced well and talks about hard subjects, such as death, dementia, or losing independence. While it might irritate some and I did feel the pace creeping on me towards the end, it does tell a great story that slowly settles in with you. This story will not be for everyone, but it does pay off in an enormous way.

CHARACTERS: Real people.

Sometimes, a movie comes along that just talks about real people. This is that movie and all its characters are just real people. They feel real, talk to each other like real people, and have real issues. Handling the concept of death is an enormously hard idea to grapple with and every character reacts to it in very different and very realistic ways. June Squibb had her very first lead role here at age 94 and she's impossibly good at conveying the emotions of losing independence. Richard Roundtree, aka Shaft himself, does a great job bouncing off of her as her ideological opposite, showing her how to become dependent on others in a positive manner. All the side-characters are remarkably entertaining and engaging, feeling like real people and giving this film its authenticity. Overall, everything just feels real and authentic.

SHOTS: Quiet and real.

This film has mostly simple camera angles to keep the focus on what's important: our characters. Many of the shots just serve to enhance the story and never really detract from anything.

SOUND: Not really the most noticeable thing.

My rule of thumb regarding good music is that it's not very noticeable. Great music might stick out just as much as bad music, but this movie doesn't utilize its music in a bad or great way. It's just there to accompany most scenes and rarely distracts. It's very good, just not very memorable.

WRITING: Poignant.

This film is all about dark topics such as how age and death affect people. We can let it consume us or we can rise above and embrace it with others. This film has a point, but there's no malice in it. There's no "Keep your parents out of retirement homes" or "Spend more time with your loved ones" message being forced, it's just simply "Enjoy what you have while you got it." In a strange way, that message resonates with me more now than ever.

LITTLE THINGS: June Squibb!

The actress playing Thelma is 94 and finally got her first starring role in a movie. Starting her career at age 59-60 is a near-impossible task for most, but she has finally gotten a leading role and it really goes to show that some of us don't find our true calling until late in life. Never forget that some people find happiness later in life and, wherever you find it, it might not be for a long time. But, the pursuit is far more worth it than the goal.

VERDICT: A slow movie about hard topics.

I don't have a ton to say, mostly because movies like this generally don't get made anymore. Quiet, talking movies are rarely viewed by most audiences and when they get made they make very little at the box office. Dan and I only heard about it because of good word of mouth. So, when I share this with you, I hope that more people get the chance to see this movie, especially those who might be struggling with mid-life crises or a lack of purpose in life. Sometimes, it only takes one night or 94 years to find our purpose. When we do, it shows us that we sometimes find help in the strangest of places.

SCORE: 9/10, a slow burn towards a meaningful conclusion