California Solo

2012
6.2| 1h33m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 30 November 2012 Released
Producted By: Whitewater Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://californiasolo.com/
Synopsis

Lachlan MacAldonich is a self-described “lazy Scotsman” and former guitar player for a once-popular 1990s rock band. No longer famous, he now lives a comfortably numb existence working on an organic farm outside Los Angeles. He drinks himself into a stupor every night and retires to his shabby apartment to record his podcast, recounting the tragic deaths of great musicians. After a particularly heavy night of drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole, he is arrested for driving under the influence. This snag, coupled with a long-ago conviction for a drug offense, means Lachlan faces possible deportation. His only hope of remaining stateside is proving that his absence would cause extreme hardship for a spouse or relative – forcing him to confront relationships he thought were buried forever.

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Reviews

GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Staci Frederick Blistering performances.
freeflyingmom Everything I've seen this man in, his acting is superb! He gives every movie his all and it shows! Relevant story line for what's going on now.
mistoppi It tells you something about Marshall Lewy's talent as a writer when the movie starts where it needs to start. There's no extensive background as to who Lachlan is, why he's in Los Angeles. There's little to no set up. We get to see what's the point, we get to see what the main character is going to be struggling with even before we know the main character. Of course this kind of start could be risky, it could alienate the audience if it' done poorly, but Lewy has done it well. The start isn't too fast, but it's fast enough so you don't have time to actually think about not knowing enough at that point. The start is immediate yet smooth.The story is a bit hard to grasp since there's a lot of details, but of course the main point is the fact that Lachlan faces deportation. However the story can't be summarised to just that, because there are so much happening even though the threat of deportation is the key ingredient. California Solo is exactly what a drama movie should be: a piece of life instead of just a simplified story. The character is more than what we see, there's what happened before and there's what will happen after the events of the movie, and that definitely shows great skills from Marshall Lewy. However a little part of me wants to ask what was the point? Not because the movie was somehow incomplete or that I didn't get the main theme, but because of the ending and how everything was concluded. But clearly it was meant to be that way. Visually California Solo is a stunning movie. The whole cinematography just screams "indie film", but it looks amazing. Also the music is amazing and well chosen. The entirety makes me feel the same way as when I listen to Delicate by Damien Rice, which is a bit surprising association. While the story, directing, soundtrack and cinematography are all amazing, the best part of the whole film has to be Robert Carlyle's performance. Aye, maybe I'm biased, but he's extremely talented. His performance is so emotionally raw and powerful it gives you chills. He's absolutely a brilliant actor, and I can't imagine anyone else playing his character in this movie. California Solo absolutely needed Robert Carlyle, his absolutely perfect for this. I liked this movie very much, but I feel like I need to get a little bit older and move around to relate to it even more. But in ten years or so, I'll absolutely return to this movie and see if my gained wisdom gives me another way to look at this. But for now I'll just know California Solo is a beautiful, well-made film, which reminds me why I love drama when it's made this excellently.
hennyxu In three words: A character study.When I saw this movie I didn't had any expectations. If you like explosions, sfx, big plot lines or adventure then this isn't your cup of tea. However, this doesn't mean that this movie is bad. Personally, I think this movie is a welcome change compared to the amount of Hollywood blockbusters that are coming out every month. What I really liked about this movie is the fact that it takes its time, allowing the viewer to think and share the moments of the main character, good and bad.The focus is on the main character Lachlan MacAldonich, a former Scottish rock band member who immigrated to America because of problems in the past. After living in America for many years, he gets caught drunk driving resulting in deportation. From this point on we follow Lachlan through his struggles caused by the pressure of the present and his burden of the past.The movie is a character study with a slow pace, so please keep an open mind when watching it. California Solo focuses on the character Lachlan MacAldonich portrayed by Robert Carlyle, who gives a great performance. The supporting cast is reasonable and helps to create the right atmosphere and story progression. However, the movie has its flaws namely, that it is very slow and personally I think certain character interactions didn't work very well.In the end I give California Solo a 7, because it was a reasonable movie with good acting, emotional content, and a deep submersion of the surroundings.Recommendation: Watch this movie around 6pm during a sunny day, because the light and timing adds to the atmosphere of the movie.
bwatty2 The film follows a retired Britpop/mod/punk guitarist who has traded in the fame and fortune of rock-star life for an impoverished and lonely but satisfying life of peace. Underlying the protagonist's peaceful life is a lifetime of regret over the death of his band-mate brother. When legal troubles threaten to disrupt his escape from reality, he must try to make amends with those he has abandoned.I found the story to be interesting and believable, if not a bit slow. The acting is very good and the characters credible. The soundtrack is excellent.Overall, worth a watch, especially for those into the 80's British music scene.

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