Goodbye Solo (2008) at Theatre Clwyd this evening is a little gem of a film that skirts away from every cliche and platitude when examining depression, suicide and motivations of friendship.Solo ( Souleymane Sy Savane) is a warm natured, talkative and perceptive Senegalese taxi driver working in a unnamed American city. He picks up a morose 70 year old William ( craggy faced Red West) and takes a booking to transport him to a mountain view point, which is a well known suicide spot, The film then chronicles Solo's never ending attempts at finding out just what may occur on this journey and shows his efforts in trying to prevent it.
The strength of Ramin Bahrani's movie lies in the fact that the audience is totally unaware of both mens' motivations and pasts. We are not even sure that William indeed wants to end his own life, and are left guessing at every twist and turn of the plot, All we are "given" is the odd and difficult relationship between silent old man and soulful immigrant, which is underplayed and subtle to say the least.
Savane gives the character Solo the gentleness and loyalty of a dog who has an unexplained connection with his crabby master, and it is this unwritten connection that makes the film so terribly moving. There are no cliches of sudden revelation or bursts of emotion to satisfy the audience in a clean cut emotional romping kind of way, and the ending isn't wrapped up with satisfying resolution, all we are left with is a strangely effective story of a very odd relationship
9/10
I'm starting to worry about people and suicide in their blogs. I hate depressing movies. The last one I saw left me sleepless for three days.And that was in the early 1970s called "They Shoot Horses, Don't They". Simply horrifying.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your hen. I was once in a monastery and my first job was to clear a commercial sized hen house of old birds. They were going to Campbell Soup. There were thirty five of us doing this. We formed a large circle in and out of the house and as we walked by each other in total silence (gathering or delivering birds), I kept getting a whiff of perfume. One of the brothers was addicted to Chanel#5. I remember the smell combination of manure and Chanel very well.
Nice review, JG. I really liked Bahrani's film MAN PUSH CART, and must check GOODBYE SOLO out.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am too old to appreciate movies that draw out deep feelings. I don't want my emotions tampered with by movie. Real life messes with them enough. Sorry about the hen. How do the pigs like the rocks? I used to put down a rock base every year where we used to live, but the soil was so full of clay that the rocks would sink away. After all that work, I hope the rocks stick around.
ReplyDeletethanks Alex and callie...as for Jim, that story of the perfume smelling monk would make a film in itself!
ReplyDeleteSorry, John. The old eggs hens made me think of it.
ReplyDeleteNow this one won't give me nightmares, this is the sort I go for. Thanks for the post. You grumpy gus you! peace
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