I admit, I was very worried when I saw the trailer for this film that Bahrani had sold out or made his first bad film. I was worried this was going to be something awful like The Legend of Bagger Vance or The Bucket List. Something cheesy, sentimental, or with an angel black man who saves a white man. Thank God none of that was true! The film is sooooooo GOOD! I loved Bahrani's first two films and wish more people had seen them. But this is his best film yet and I am glad it has a wider release! The characters are real, honest, sincere and once again Bahrani manages to avoid all the normal plot devices that ruin films. Compared to Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, Goodbye Solo has a much stronger story-line and is really tense. You always want to know what happens next, but especially the last 30minutes the audience I saw it here at SXSW were rivited. AND-- it is funny! The first half of the film is really funny and I didn't expect that at all! A lot of that is the writing and directing, but a lot is the acting. That guy playing Solo is so charming he has star written all over him. His warmth and personality make the film something really special, especially next to the old man playing William. He is just perfect in the role, as if it was written for him. The movie left me feeling a little sad, but also really strong and hopeful, which sounds weird, but it's true. Its been days since I saw the film, and I saw many others at the festival, some good ones too, but this is the one that stayed with me. It is the best film I have seen all year and I will see it again when it opens in Austin.
