The assassin was the main character in Ballerina (Seen in the theater, 6/10/2025), which I will give a “B” because I found it a nice mix of two franchises I enjoy: John Wick, because it was set in his universe, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because our main character is small and scrappy, constantly underestimated by her opponents yet always winning because of her resourcefulness in turning anything she can reach into a weapon, which in Eve’s case was usually hurled at her opponent’s crotch.
Ballerina had all the things I love about John Wick, like inventive fight scenes that are often funny — particularly one involving another woman and a pile of plates — and lots of analog touches like switchboard ladies using old-school headphones, plugs, typewriters and printers to receive and broadcast the latest assassin bounties, or having the big bad’s lookout, “The Eye,” be a man who scans the mountainside for intruders with a balcony full of vintage brass telescopes.
Fun fact: This movie reminded me a bit of the 1990 French film La Femme Nikita, which I argue is the gold standard of “young woman learning to be an assassin” movies. And at least one person making Ballerina agreed, since Nikita herself, Anne Parillaud, is given a cameo in the movie. And if you haven’t watched Parillaud in Luc Besson’s movie, you should rectify that as soon as possible, as I can still see her “angry dancing” to Mozart 35 years later.
And while I enjoyed the love story in Nikita, I appreciated even more that the makers of Ballerina did not give Ana De Armas' assassin a love interest, or even a sex scene, staying true to the John Wick formula.
The nun was played by Kate Winslet’s daughter Mia Threapleton, who spends most of the movie as an oval of eyes and freckles, yet still manages to nearly steal the show from the ever-charming Benicio Del Toro in The Phoenician Scheme (Seen in theater, 6/14/2025.) I give this movie an “A,” but freely admit to adoring Wes Anderson films ever since falling in love with Rushmore in 1998. So if you don’t enjoy his droll and whimsical (some might say precious?) style, then you will likely not enjoy this latest effort; but if you also admire his creations, then The Phoenician could jump into your Top Five, as I think it was one of his funniest.
Fun fact: My husband and I saw a 9:35 a.m. showing of The Phoenician Scheme, which was definitely the first time either of us has ever gone to the movies before 11 a.m.! And since we were the only two people in the theater, I asked the usher afterward if they would have still played the movie if we weren’t there, and he said, with more than a touch of annoyance, “No.”
6/20 & 6/21/2025: The French Dispatch, 2021 (DVD, rented from the library). Grade: B-. I never thought I’d give a Wes Anderson movie anything less than the top grade, especially one that is reportedly a “love letter to journalists,” but this movie did not completely charm me like his others. In fact, it was so dense and academic that we stopped watching halfway through the first time, then finished it the following day. And I’m glad we didn’t give up on it, because the second half featured the best chapter, a delightful romp featuring one of my favorite actresses and people, Frances McDormand. (I probably should give it a C+, but I can’t go below a B for either Wes or Frances.)
6/27/2025: Thelma, 2024 (DVD, rented from the library) Grade: A+, because I adored this pretty perfect little movie written and directed by Josh Margolin, who obviously had a 90-something woman in his life that he adored while making this film, which is a loving-but-honest portrayal of an elderly woman desperate to maintain her independence from the family members who desperately want to keep her safe.
The plot is very basic, with our main character played by the marvelous June Squibb getting swindled over the phone by someone pretending to be her jailed grandson needing $10,000 for his bail. After learning she was conned, Thelma gets inspired by an article about Tom Cruise's latest Mission Impossible movie and embarks on her own seemingly impossible mission to reclaim her money before her frantic family can find her. Structured somewhat like a Mission Impossible movie, this tiny but mighty film is a fun caper with a great script full of respectful nods to the indignities of aging. And if that isn’t enough to recommend it, how about getting to see Richard Roundtree, John Shaft himself, playing Thelma’s partner in crime? Yes, I found so much to love about this movie.
Fun fact: The very end features footage of the real-life “Thelma,” perhaps the most touching brushstroke in a loving portrait of an elderly woman determined to keep going outside on her own two legs for as long as she possibly can.
