The crime drama Thelma & Louise is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, and Brad Pitt. The film takes place in modern day Arkansas.
Thelma (Davis) and Louise (Sarandon) are best friends and really need to go on a trip to escape the pressures of everyday life. Thelma's husband is extremely controlling and does not value her at all, so she is reluctant at first to go on the trip but eventually accepts. Louise's boyfriend Jimmy (Madsen) is a cool guy that really loves Louise and it is safe to say that if Louise doesn't love him she definitely feels quite strongly about him. While the two are at a bar Thelma gets quite drunk and a man tries to take advantage of her in the parking lot. Well when everything comes to an end Louise shoots the man to protect Thelma but they must go on the run. Can a police detective, Hal (Keitel), solve the murder and put the women in prison? Or will they escape the grasp of the law and make it to Mexico? The screenplay for this film by Callie Khouri is very original and a great twist to the crime genre. While watching the film you really get a sense for the characters and their personalities, and they never do anything outside of their character. On the surface it is just a basic do a crime and run type of film but with the added characterization and the relationships the characters have with their husband/boyfriend it adds another layer to the film. One thing that bothered me about this was its resemblance to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the plot loosely and the finale loosely as well.
Ridley Scott is one of the best directors Hollywood has to offer and this is a film that shows his range as a director. At the time he is really known for great science fiction films like Alien and Blade Runner but he decided to mix it up with this one and I love it when directors spice it up. Like usual he has many great shots which develop the characters of the film allowing the audience to really know and become attached to Thelma and Louise. Now is this one of Scott's best films? Certainly not. But it is definitely worth noting when talking about his impressive career.
Susan Sarandon really shines in this film as the role of Louise, and the film put her on the map. Before this film she was known but after she became a superstar who went on to win an Oscar. With this film she showed her talent and earned an Oscar nomination as well as a woman who wants to just take a break and have some fun, but obviously that isn't what she gets. Her facial and voice expressions in this film were absolutely remarkable and this is definitely my favorite film I've seen her in even though I have not seen much of her repertoire.
Geena Davis delivers a superb performance also earning an Oscar nomination for her role as Thelma. She was fun, cute girl escaping from her husband and having a good time even after she almost got raped. Her accent was great and the chemistry between her and Sarandon was absolutely wonderful. It is a shame that her career never became anything more than this, the only film I can remember her in after this is with Michael J. Fox in Stuart Little. She is definitely a great talent and I would love to see her come back into the spotlight.
The supporting cast did a decent job as well, but nowhere near as good as the leads. I was kind of disappointed by Harvey Keitel as a nice guy detective. It didn't feel like he gave much of a performance, just put on a sympathetic voice when talking to the women. Michael Madsen is always good and he was in this as well, though he was not magnificent or anything. I always respect Michael Madsen because he is a working man actor whose name isn't big but still gets around. He is still kind of a tough guy in this and he is not as good as he is in Reservoir Dogs or Donnie Brasco but this was earlier in his career and he grew as an actor. The film features Brad Pitt's first major role as a cute guy thief and he does a decent job. Nothing good really but for a first major film definitely not bad.
Overall I give this film an 8/10 and I recommend it to anyone who likes crime films, films with female leads, and original films. It is fun at parts and the ending is a classic, and you kind of have to see it if you have any liking for Ridley Scott.
Thelma (Davis) and Louise (Sarandon) are best friends and really need to go on a trip to escape the pressures of everyday life. Thelma's husband is extremely controlling and does not value her at all, so she is reluctant at first to go on the trip but eventually accepts. Louise's boyfriend Jimmy (Madsen) is a cool guy that really loves Louise and it is safe to say that if Louise doesn't love him she definitely feels quite strongly about him. While the two are at a bar Thelma gets quite drunk and a man tries to take advantage of her in the parking lot. Well when everything comes to an end Louise shoots the man to protect Thelma but they must go on the run. Can a police detective, Hal (Keitel), solve the murder and put the women in prison? Or will they escape the grasp of the law and make it to Mexico? The screenplay for this film by Callie Khouri is very original and a great twist to the crime genre. While watching the film you really get a sense for the characters and their personalities, and they never do anything outside of their character. On the surface it is just a basic do a crime and run type of film but with the added characterization and the relationships the characters have with their husband/boyfriend it adds another layer to the film. One thing that bothered me about this was its resemblance to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the plot loosely and the finale loosely as well.
Ridley Scott is one of the best directors Hollywood has to offer and this is a film that shows his range as a director. At the time he is really known for great science fiction films like Alien and Blade Runner but he decided to mix it up with this one and I love it when directors spice it up. Like usual he has many great shots which develop the characters of the film allowing the audience to really know and become attached to Thelma and Louise. Now is this one of Scott's best films? Certainly not. But it is definitely worth noting when talking about his impressive career.
Susan Sarandon really shines in this film as the role of Louise, and the film put her on the map. Before this film she was known but after she became a superstar who went on to win an Oscar. With this film she showed her talent and earned an Oscar nomination as well as a woman who wants to just take a break and have some fun, but obviously that isn't what she gets. Her facial and voice expressions in this film were absolutely remarkable and this is definitely my favorite film I've seen her in even though I have not seen much of her repertoire.
Geena Davis delivers a superb performance also earning an Oscar nomination for her role as Thelma. She was fun, cute girl escaping from her husband and having a good time even after she almost got raped. Her accent was great and the chemistry between her and Sarandon was absolutely wonderful. It is a shame that her career never became anything more than this, the only film I can remember her in after this is with Michael J. Fox in Stuart Little. She is definitely a great talent and I would love to see her come back into the spotlight.
The supporting cast did a decent job as well, but nowhere near as good as the leads. I was kind of disappointed by Harvey Keitel as a nice guy detective. It didn't feel like he gave much of a performance, just put on a sympathetic voice when talking to the women. Michael Madsen is always good and he was in this as well, though he was not magnificent or anything. I always respect Michael Madsen because he is a working man actor whose name isn't big but still gets around. He is still kind of a tough guy in this and he is not as good as he is in Reservoir Dogs or Donnie Brasco but this was earlier in his career and he grew as an actor. The film features Brad Pitt's first major role as a cute guy thief and he does a decent job. Nothing good really but for a first major film definitely not bad.
Overall I give this film an 8/10 and I recommend it to anyone who likes crime films, films with female leads, and original films. It is fun at parts and the ending is a classic, and you kind of have to see it if you have any liking for Ridley Scott.