Thelma

What unfolds is Mission: Impossible on Mobility Scooters, with a soundtrack to match. Thelma and Ben after the crooks; Danny and his parents chasing Thelma and Ben. It is full of humour, and not a little sadness.

The key to all this is Squibb’s success in convincing you of the close contact Thelma maintains with her younger self. You can see the girl in her.

A playful, light-hearted film at is core, in every single frame Margolin foregrounds Thelma’s subjectivity and experience, brought to life so vividly by Squibb

As a comedy, the film is a little light on laughs, but Squibb and her co-star, the late Richard Roundtree, bring considerable charm to what might otherwise be a by-numbers affair.

The tone from the debut feature writer and director Josh Margolin is exquisitely well-judged, offsetting deeply felt melancholy with wry humour.

On paper, Thelma might seem like a typical feel-good “gray dollar” fodder, however, the film stands out with a consistently funny script, genuine emotional depth, and outstanding comic performances from its principle actors.


Squibb expertly balances her understated comedy with moments of vulnerability, making her character such a joy to watch and reminds us just how lucky we are as an audience to have Squibb in our lives.

Mission Impossible wishes it were Thelma—an absolute joy ride from beginning to end with a phenomenally compelling performance from June Squibb.

The best part of Josh Margolin’s light and breezy comedy is the sarcastic take on the action-adventure revenge plot dealt through a sardonic lens with the help of Squibb, who rides a motorized scooter all over Los Angeles.

'Thelma' ultimately turns out to be more likable than special, but it's certainly endearing and a nice tribute to a somewhat overlooked legend of American cinema. [Full review in Spanish]