MOVIE REVIEWS

***Entertaining but tragic road flick with Sarandon and Davis*** Two women from Arkansas (Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis) become fugitives and travel through the Southwest pursued by authorities (Harvey Keitel & Stephen Tobolowsky). Brad Pitt plays a cowboy drifter while Michael Madsen and Christopher McDonald are on hand as the beau and hubby of the women. "Thelma & Louise" (1991) is an iconic crime drama/road movie spiced with a few thrills. It’s entertaining, but not really empowering for females, unless making rash, stupid decisions and ruining your life is empowering. It’s amusing, dramatic and scenic, yet ultimately tragic. Sarandon was 41 during shooting while Davis was ten years younger. Both look great, but their characters are a bit of a turn-off during the opening reel, especially the ditzy Thelma (Davis), yet they win sympathy as the movie progresses. The film runs 2 hours, 10 minutes, and was shot in Southern Cal and Utah, as well as Bedrock, Colorado. GRADE: B

Thirty-odd years later, and this is still a classic piece of cinema. It all centres around best pals "Thelma" (Geena Davis) and "Louise" (Susan Sarandon) who are a bit bored with their respective fellas and set off on a drive. Stopping off at a roadside bar, things get out of hand when the latter woman shoots dead a man trying to rape her friend. Now it's a dark car park and they had been drinking and dancing with this guy all night, so circumstances being what they are - the girls decide discretion is the better part of valour and off they drive. Not long after, Harvey Keitel's dogged police officer "Hal" shows up and pretty soon the girls are on the run. They have to stay one step ahead of their pursuers, find a way to get some cash and decide what to do with the hunky "J.D." (Brad Pitt), an hiker who has hitched his team to their wagon - much to the delight of "Thelma" - en route to safety in Mexico (just not via Texas!)! It's a film about self discovery I suppose, but really it is an entertaining romp from two women letting the badger loose. Pitt provides the now legendary eye-candy in his 501s and the whole things demonstrates a light-hearted criminality reminiscent of "Bonnie and Clyde". There are plenty of laughs to be had, the performances all round are engaging and charismatic and it's full of attitude. If I'd been on a jury - they'd have walked!