Review of Goodbye Solo (2009) by John C — 15 Sep 2009

Ramin Bahrani's Goodbye Solo opens up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with its two central characters, a cab driver named Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane) and his passenger William (Red West), arguing over a mysterious arrangement that William has set up. William has asked for Solo to take him to Blowing Rock in the coming days and drop him off there, with no intentions of ever being picked up. It's a hell of a way to throw an audience into a film, but Bahrani's film unravels marvelously and Goodbye Solo becomes one of the strongest mysteries put to film as well as one of 2009's most powerful movies.

This is Ramin Bahrani's third feature film, Man Push Cart and Chop Shop being his first two, and once again he creates a fascinating tale out of what seemingly could be some of the most mundane of situations, locations and people. Bahrani is a very character driven filmmaker, and he develops his characters naturally without ever going sappy or overly sentimental. Both Solo and William are two of the most impressive characters so far this year, and Savane and West have created one of the best on screen pairings of the year as well.

William is a very complicated character. Like us, Solo only knows so much about William. He is a regular passenger of his, and usually is dropped off at a local movie theater where William likes to talk to a young man who works the box office. William doesn't appear to be sick, nor does he show any obvious reasons for being depressed. Red West perfectly showcases the bitterness of this character, and transformed easily into the moments when William let his guard down and opened up to people.

Souleymane Sy Savane's performance as Solo reminded me a lot of Sally Hawkins' performance in last year's Happy-Go-Lucky. Solo is an ever cheerful person, who tries to remain positive even in some of the worst times. He has a good life; he is married and expecting a child, has a beautiful and intelligent step daughter named Alex (Diana Franco Galindo) and is studying to become a flight attendant. There was something so natural about Savane's performance, and I enjoyed him on screen every second. Solo is one of the most captivating characters, and Savane has created a highly memorable performance in the film.

It's simply amazing how the film carries along its characters. So easily this film could have been about William, and explored his reasons on why he is possibly contemplating suicide. But the film is more about Solo, and the difficult and awkward situation that arises when he is met with this polar opposite to himself. Instead of becoming a phony film about unlikely friendships changing your life for the better, Goodbye Solo shows that sometimes in life there aren't any easy answers. Some people can't be changed, but that doesn't mean you can't learn from them. That even in the worst of times, something positive and beautiful can emerge.

By the end of the film it isn't clear if William is going to go through with his original plan, nor are we any clearer on the reasons why he intended to do so in the first place. But that is the intelligence behind Bahrani's film. Bahrani doesn't claim to have all the answers, and doesn't dare pretend like he does and give his characters artificial explanations for their actions. Goodbye Solo is a complicated puzzle that may have no answer, but that is why the film lingers in your mind long after it is over. But that lingering is welcomed. Truly a beautiful film from beginning to end.