Thelma ★★★★☆
Directed by Josh Margolin. Starring June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell. PG cert, gen release, 99 min
Squibb leads a stellar cast as the plucky grandmother of the title. A fiercely independent widow, she is outraged when she falls victim to an elaborate phone hoax. “Shouldn’t Zuckenborg be able to fix this?” she asks the investigating officer. Unbowed and inspired by Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, Thelma sets out across Los Angeles on a mobility scooter to recover her $10,000. When this nonagenarian adventure premiered at Sundance to huge applause last January, bidders came a-calling. The result is a pleasing summer sleeper hit built largely on word of mouth and an all-ages audience. Full review TB
Twisters ★★★☆☆
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane. 12A cert, gen release, 122 min
It has taken just 28 years for the ho-hum Twister to generate a sequel that, while no masterpiece, feels perfectly serviceable in the era of lore-addicted trash such as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This time Edgar-Jones and Powell are two opposing storm chasers who, when not dodging hurtling patio furniture, engage in tolerable sub- Hawksian battles of the sexes. Powell has the ability to find fizzes of charm in professional and personal arrogance. Edgar-Jones is less comfortable with the comedy, but has a good turn in cocked-head exasperation. Alas, the confusing, windy action sequences fast become repetitive. Full review DC
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Crossing ★★★★☆
Directed by Levan Akin. Starring Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanlı. 15A cert, gen release, 106 min
A Georgian woman’s search for her estranged trans niece generates a lively chronicle of life in Istanbul and a compelling odd-couple road trip. Lia (Arabuli) is a haughty former history teacher who commands respect in her Batumi community. Her hunt for that beloved relative takes her to the heart of the red-light district where trans women live precarious, brothel-hopping lives. The gorgeous twilight lensing and repeated water-bound journeys remind us that this is where “people come to disappear”. Following on from Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, Crossing gifts us the second essential Georgian screen heroine of 2024. TB
Skywalkers: A Love Story ★★★☆☆
Directed by Jeff Zimbalist. Featuring Vanya Beerkus, Angela Nikolau. Netflix, 100 min
Zimbalist’s film, picked up by the streamer at Sundance, goes among the deranged world of rooftopping: a pastime involving the free ascent of tall structures, often without the permission of the owners. Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, initially rivals who end up both romantic and professional partners, are planning “one last job” atop the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur. The actions sequences, making use of GoPro and drone footage, is necessarily sick-making, but much of the chatter between plays like woolly filler. “Our full potential is on the other side of fear,” someone says. If you say so. Full review DC
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