Review of Thelma & Louise (1991) by Ben L — 25 Apr 2017

The chemistry between Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis is superb, and elevates Thelma & Louise beyond what it would be otherwise. They sell this friendship as something authentic and heartfelt, and the movie needed that to keep an emotional core. The journey they take is a dramatic one, with a number of shocking turns that keep the stakes rising higher. It was interesting to see how far they would go, and strangely I felt the freeing effect when they finally just embraced being outlaws. It?s one of those movies where you reach the end and it?s fun to look back at how much the characters have changed since that first scene.

I like that there wasn?t a big exposition dump at the beginning and we are allowed to meet these 2 women and learn more about them as they journey together. It becomes a classic road movie with a dark twist and that leads to some drama, some action, and even some moments of levity. Harvey Keitel was great as the detective who?s trying to track them down. There are a couple of moments where he reacts in unexpected ways, and it makes you like him even more. It?s one of the rare movies where I cared about the people on the run, and the cops chasing them at the same time. By the end you feel, if they were going to get caught by the cops, he?s the guy you want taking them in.

Sadly, there were a few things that bugged me in Thelma & Louise. First of all, the behavior of Geena Davis? character was a struggle to accept. She seemed to be inconsistent, and confusing. One moment she?s completely flighty and forgetful, and the next she?s the smartest girl in the room who controls everything. At one point I started to wonder if she was just bipolar or something because I could never anticipate what she would next. The unpredictability works for the plot, but not so much for the character in my opinion.

I?ll admit, my other struggle was with the infamous ending. If you don?t know what happens then don?t read any further, but I knew what was coming years ago even though I didn?t see the movie. I?ve seen that scene played in so many montages, and I?ve seen it parodied multiple times, so the surprise wasn?t there. While there?s a slight feel of letting go and breaking free in that moment they fly off the cliff, I can?t get over how depressing it is as well. And knowing that was coming as I began watching made the entire film feel a bit more dour, and unsatisfying. I think Thelma & Louise is a well-made film, and it is effective, but it?s not the most enjoyable thing to watch.