Thelma & Louise It is a film that has already passed three decades and still has an iconic character. Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis), a housewife with an empty and bland life, is married to a detestable cretin who treats her like a child. For her part, Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) works as a waitress in a cafe and spends most of her time alone, since her boyfriend Jimmy (Michael Madsen), who is a musician, is on tour. One weekend they decide to take a trip together in Louise’s car to get away from the deadly routine of their lives and all their frustrations. However, her getaway, which promised to be fun and, above all, liberating, ends up being an experience full of dramatic episodes.
Throughout this transit both women grow and change. Louise, hardened by years of waitressing and historical trauma, softens over time, as Thelma goes from a melancholic, naïve housewife to someone who robs stores to get much-needed money. There is a death, a police chase and a shocking ending.
A recent review confirms the film’s strengths and limits. The latter come, above all, from the script by Callie Khouri, who transfers the scheme of Butch Cassidy to the 20th century and to the female gender, who of course won an Oscar and a Golden Globe, and who takes pains to portray his two main female characters, providing juicy opportunities to its actresses. However, it is not difficult to notice a certain degree of Manichaeism and caricature with which this script describes its male characters, although some escape the stereotype.
But the film is better than those simplifications, and its main virtues have a first and last name: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Ridley Scott. The dedication of the two actresses enriches their roles, making these two women complex beings, sometimes endearing, sometimes irritating. And director Scott supports the material with what is already known to be his best trademark: a refined advertising film craftsmanship (without this being said in a pejorative sense: it helped him make things like Alien) that wraps the story in careful framing and color, attention to the vast landscapes, and a certain dramatic power when necessary. The supporting cast largely fulfills what is asked of them, from a youthful Brad Pitt to the seniority of Keitel, including the rudeness of Michael Madsen. The film is not necessarily a masterpiece, but it certainly remains a truly worthy title.
