Goodbye Solo (C or 2/4 stars)
2 men form an improbable bond (not friendship) that will change their lives forever in 'Goodbye Solo', written & directed by Ramin Bahrani. The film is about an extremely jovial cab driver named Solo (1st time actor, Soulemayne Sy Savene) who resides in Winston-Salem, N.C.. A native of Senegal, he dreams of soon ending his cab-driving career to be a flight attendant (of all people). And he works hard to provide a better life for his young family. When first seen, he's driving a depressed, curmudgeony senior citizen named William (Red West). This customer offers a deal: 10 days from now, he wants Solo to drive him to Blowing Rock National Park - a steep cliff, of sorts. And he'll pay Solo $1,000 for this ONE-way fare.
It is implied that William wants to go there to jump off the rock (but if he ever does has to be left to our imagination. I'll explain later). Solo is uneasy about this 'deal', but tentatively accepts for now. Though these 2 men couldn't be any different, they're both at a crossroads in their lives. Solo's American dream is beginning. It's not paved with gold, but it's a start. But it seems that William is a man with a lifetime of regrets. Secretive, angry, rude ... Solo tries to break William's hardened surface with his winning demeanor. But nothing seems to work. All William can do is blankly stare at Solo & exclaim, "Leave me alone!". Hell bent on changing the old man, Solo befriends William & hopes to divert him from ending his life early.
William wants nothing of a friendship, but Solo will not give up - butting his way into William's life; introducing him to his fiancee & her adorable, intelligent daughter, Alex (Diana Franco Galindo); sharing a motel room together; taking him to daily movie showings; & asking William to help him pass his exam to be a flight attendant. It takes a long time for William to let his guard down, but in his own way, he does. That said, some wounds cannot be healed. And even Solo knows that William may be the best person to judge his own affairs. Why does William visit the movie house every day? Who is he meeting? And will Solo's optimism & positive energy be enough to inspire the old man to suspend his dour plans at Blowing Rock?
Oh, boy. What can I say? The acting from these 2 men is excellent. For a first time actor, Soulemayne Sy Savene completely won me over. I just LOVED his upbeat, carefree, 'hey, no problem, man' attitude; finding the good in everybody. We need more people like him on this planet. Even when faced with adversity, he tries to be as positive as possible. But when things get dark near the end, he also impresses me with some subtle depth of emotion; all in his eyes. And Red West (who was Elvis Presley's body guard, & part of his Memphis Mafia) is also effective. He's gruff, weathered, serious, almost impossible to communicate with - but we know this type of man; and he's rarely in movies. And he does more in silence (or with a look) than he does when grumbling dialogue; great mystery to his toil.
Now, I appreciate aspects of the filmmaking. Solo's nighttime drives through Winston-Salem are filmed hauntingly. There are some interesting themes: how opposing personalities can learn to see the world from different perspectives; exploring the changing face of Americans; how there's dignity in ending one's life on his own terms. And I liked some scenes involving Alex, Solo's little stepdaughter. She's not your average Hollywood youngen who comes in to charm or annoy us. She felt real, like Solo & William. And she has a great effect on everyone in the story.
Howwevver, this is one dreary, bland, & mostly ... uneventful movie. It's despairing, but not overly provocative. Scenes come & go without much effect. The transitions from scene to scene are very rough. Some plotlines really needed to be addressed further (why William would want to end his life; the vagueness of Solo's relationship with his pregnant wife; or the boy William meets at the movie house). Little is said, little is done, little is resolved. The dialogue/plotline felt incomplete. I'm sorry, but the lack of substance just doesn't cut it for me. We are to superimpose our own meaning on what the film is about. And the ending (or lack thereof) really perturbed me. Some movies can get away with that. But not this one. Less is not always more. See this film for a couple of gem performances. It's more studied than sappy (which is honorable). But this movie is way overrated by pro film critics. And there's just very little else to praise.
It is implied that William wants to go there to jump off the rock (but if he ever does has to be left to our imagination. I'll explain later). Solo is uneasy about this 'deal', but tentatively accepts for now. Though these 2 men couldn't be any different, they're both at a crossroads in their lives. Solo's American dream is beginning. It's not paved with gold, but it's a start. But it seems that William is a man with a lifetime of regrets. Secretive, angry, rude ... Solo tries to break William's hardened surface with his winning demeanor. But nothing seems to work. All William can do is blankly stare at Solo & exclaim, "Leave me alone!". Hell bent on changing the old man, Solo befriends William & hopes to divert him from ending his life early.
William wants nothing of a friendship, but Solo will not give up - butting his way into William's life; introducing him to his fiancee & her adorable, intelligent daughter, Alex (Diana Franco Galindo); sharing a motel room together; taking him to daily movie showings; & asking William to help him pass his exam to be a flight attendant. It takes a long time for William to let his guard down, but in his own way, he does. That said, some wounds cannot be healed. And even Solo knows that William may be the best person to judge his own affairs. Why does William visit the movie house every day? Who is he meeting? And will Solo's optimism & positive energy be enough to inspire the old man to suspend his dour plans at Blowing Rock?
Oh, boy. What can I say? The acting from these 2 men is excellent. For a first time actor, Soulemayne Sy Savene completely won me over. I just LOVED his upbeat, carefree, 'hey, no problem, man' attitude; finding the good in everybody. We need more people like him on this planet. Even when faced with adversity, he tries to be as positive as possible. But when things get dark near the end, he also impresses me with some subtle depth of emotion; all in his eyes. And Red West (who was Elvis Presley's body guard, & part of his Memphis Mafia) is also effective. He's gruff, weathered, serious, almost impossible to communicate with - but we know this type of man; and he's rarely in movies. And he does more in silence (or with a look) than he does when grumbling dialogue; great mystery to his toil.
Now, I appreciate aspects of the filmmaking. Solo's nighttime drives through Winston-Salem are filmed hauntingly. There are some interesting themes: how opposing personalities can learn to see the world from different perspectives; exploring the changing face of Americans; how there's dignity in ending one's life on his own terms. And I liked some scenes involving Alex, Solo's little stepdaughter. She's not your average Hollywood youngen who comes in to charm or annoy us. She felt real, like Solo & William. And she has a great effect on everyone in the story.
Howwevver, this is one dreary, bland, & mostly ... uneventful movie. It's despairing, but not overly provocative. Scenes come & go without much effect. The transitions from scene to scene are very rough. Some plotlines really needed to be addressed further (why William would want to end his life; the vagueness of Solo's relationship with his pregnant wife; or the boy William meets at the movie house). Little is said, little is done, little is resolved. The dialogue/plotline felt incomplete. I'm sorry, but the lack of substance just doesn't cut it for me. We are to superimpose our own meaning on what the film is about. And the ending (or lack thereof) really perturbed me. Some movies can get away with that. But not this one. Less is not always more. See this film for a couple of gem performances. It's more studied than sappy (which is honorable). But this movie is way overrated by pro film critics. And there's just very little else to praise.