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Movie Review and Official Trailer: Strand Releasing Presents “California Solo”

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  • November 14, 2012

  • 5 mins to read

California Solo

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 94 minutes

Director/Screenwriter: Marshall Lewy

Opens Friday, November 30, 2012 in New York at the Quad Cinema, and on December 7, 2012 in Los Angeles at the Nuart

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival 2012

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Lachlan tries to sell his wares at the farmers market.

Lachlan MacAldonich (Robert Carlyle, The Full Monty, Trainspotting, Once Upon a Time) is a washed up, burned out, embittered former Scottish pop rock guitarist who is now working on an organic farm outside Los Angeles. Self-exiled in America for the past 12 years, Lachlan cannot face the fact that he was responsible for the drug-related death of his brother and fellow band mate/lead singer of the 90s Britpop band, The Cranks. Nor can he go back to the UK where he will surely face the wrath of family, friends, and fans. Lachlan’s only remaining connection to music is his nighttime podcast, The Flame-Outs, during which he honors and plays the music of musicians who died before their time. But despite Lachlan’s friendship with Warren (A Martinez), the farm’s owner, and his son Julian (Eli Vargas), he just can’t shake his demons.

Official Trailer:

Written by Lewy specifically for Carlyle, this is the typical tale of a man who cannot face his sordid past, swallowing his despair in a bottle of whiskey every night at the local bar. One night, Lachlan is arrested for a DUI, which, when combined with a long ago conviction for possession of drugs, leads to his possible deportation. What he does, and how he deals with the direction his life is taking is the basis of this melancholy tale.

Lachlan finds solace in his guitar.

The title of the film refers to the one song Lachlan recorded after his days with The Cranks, and I’m happy to say Carlyle plays and sings it quite well. In addition, Carlyle proves his highly acclaimed acting skills with an excellent portrayal of a man who tried to turn his life around and failed. He makes his character both likeable and despicable, depending upon the time of day. At times, I felt sorry for him, and other times, I was aggravated by how little he cares about himself. Carlyle fits perfectly into this role with his native Scottish brogue and shaggy locks.

Beau and Lachlan take a stroll around the farm

I suspect that without Carlyle, though, this film won’t go far. It is filled with cliché material and characters who have no depth, other than Lachlan. This is particularly true for Beau (Alexia Rasmussen), a regular visitor to the farm, whose relationship with Lachlan goes nowhere. While she is as unfulfilled in life as Lachlan, I think the film could have benefited from a more satisfying and possibly romantic relationship between the two. The other actor I deem worthy of mention is A Martinez. While lacking depth to his character, Martinez is still able to portray Warren as a sensitive and understanding man despite Warren’s patience being tested on numerous occasions.

While California Solo is mainly a character study, it is also a commentary on U.S. immigration laws, and how heartbreaking they can be, even for citizens with green cards, such as Lachlan. His only chance to stay in the United States depends on whether he can find a U.S. citizen who would be severely harmed if he were deported. He turns to his ex-wife Catherine (Kathleen Wilhoite), and smart and sensitive 14-year-old daughter Arianwen ‘Ari,’ played beautifully by the young Savannah Latham despite her small role. While Lewy chooses not to save Lachlan by using Catherine and Ari, he does give us a beautiful scene with Ari which leads to a salvation, of sorts, for Lachlan.

I recently read a quote by Carlyle: “I hate that term ‘method.’ It’s definitely been given to me over the years, but I don’t know if it’s true. My belief is that every actor’s got their own ‘method,’ and as long as it works, that’s ok.” Well, Mr. Carlyle, your method in California Solo definitely works, and is the only reason I’m giving this film a 4 out of 5 rating, instead of the 3 it deserves. While California Solo is a touching drama, with beautiful cinematography and a wonderfully soulful performance by Carlyle, it falls short of the mark to make it a box office hit.

 

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!