#SUNDANCE: “THELMA” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

Writer-Director Josh Margolin’s Feature debut is a tender story about growing old and how we as a society view our elders. All wrapped in one of the freshest whip-smart comedic Scripts.

The story follows 93-year-old Thelma Post (the magnificent June Squibb) who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. When she finds the PO Box address she sent the money to, she’s determined to confront the crook. However, her family won’t let her. But when Thelma sees Tom Cruise on the front cover of a newspaper promoting his latest Mission Impossible movie (the headline a clever “Mission: Possible”) she sets out on her mission for revenge.

Thelma is the feel-good movie of Sundance ’24 that leaves the audience uplifted and giddy. Additionally, it’s a very timely story due to this scam increasing since the pandemic. It was Margolin’s grandmother, also named Thelma, who nearly got scammed that sparked his idea for this Feature.

It includes a stellar ensemble consisting of Fred Hechinger as Thelma’s grandson Danny, Parker Posey as her daughter Gail, and Clark Gregg as her son-in-law Alan. All hit each comedic and tender moment. Yet, no one can compare to the enchanting Squibb. She’s a force to be reckoned with just as Thelma is as she goes as fast as a scooter can take her. After decades in the industry, finally we get to see her at her action hero best.

There might be no mission that’s impossible for Thelma but there sure is for the audience. Their impossible mission: not having a silly smile on their face from beginning to end.

Thelma screens at Sundance ’24:

Jan 17 at 6:30 PM at The Ray Theatre

Jan 18 at 9:00 AM at Prospector Square Theatre

Jan 20 at 9:00 PM at Rose Wagner Center

Jan 23 at 1:15 PM at Eccles Theatre

Jan 24 at 5:00 PM at Redstone Cinemas – 1

Jan 27 at 6:45 PM at Redstone Cinemas – 7

Jan 28 at 1:15 PM at Broadway Centre Cinemas – 6

Online — Jan 25 – Jan 28

#TIFF22: “BUTCHER’S CROSSING”

By David Baldwin

It is the 1870s and Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger of The White Lotus and the Fear Street Trilogy) has just dropped out of Harvard. He is looking to experience more of what life has to offer and travels West to the titular Butcher’s Crossing in Kansas. He desperately wants to go on a buffalo hunt, yet cannot join any hunter’s party. That is until he meets Miller (Nicolas Cage), who claims he knows of a remote valley in the Colorado Rockies, untouched by hunters and teeming with buffalo. Will finances the hunt off this very promise, and as you might expect, gets more than he bargained for.

Days later and I am still perplexed by BUTCHER’S CROSSING. It looks absolutely stunning, doing its very best to accurately depict what the Old West looked like (without relying on extensive CGI to help). The outstanding vistas, the hand built buildings, the costumes, the horses, I could go on and on. It all looks outstanding and really goes a long way in depicting the time period the Film takes place during. The Script could have used some of that high-level attention to detail, rather than the plethora of themes, allusions and metaphors it gets bogged down by. Are we watching a movie about loneliness, despair, obsession and/or the effects of Icarus flying too close to the sun? Or, as the credits spontaneously suggest, is it about buffalo and animal preservation? I am completely unsure and it seems like the Film itself feels the same way.

Supporting turns from Xander Berkeley, Jeremy Bobb and especially Oscar-nominee Paul Raci (of TIFF’19 selection Sound of Metal) are all solid, and Hechinger does a great job as the audience surrogate. He holds his own against everyone on-screen and continues to prove his worth as an emerging talent to watch out for. Of course, they all are standing in the shadow of Cage, who brings a God-like gravitas and charisma to every one of his scenes. He has an edginess to himself and gloriously unleashes his inner Cage-Rage a handful of times. It is not exactly Earth-shattering work, but seeing Cage in his element is worth the price of admission all on its own.

Also – I am not sure just how much buffalo skinning is too much buffalo skinning, but BUTCHER’S CROSSING could have done with substantially less of it. So prepare yourself in advance should you choose to venture in.

BUTCHER’S CROSSING screens as follows at TIFF ’22:

Fri, Sep 9 IN-PERSON Roy Thomson Hall 9:30pm

Sat, Sep 10 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 1:00pm

Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 5:30pm