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IMDbPro

Goodbye Solo

  • 20082008
  • RR
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
46,262
4,266
Goodbye Solo (2008)
Goodbye Solo Trailer
Play trailer2:19
1 Video
15 Photos
Drama
Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
46,262
4,266
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • Writers
      • Bahareh Azimi
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • Stars
      • Souleymane Sy Savane
      • Red West
      • Diana Franco Galindo
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • Writers
      • Bahareh Azimi
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • Stars
      • Souleymane Sy Savane
      • Red West
      • Diana Franco Galindo
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 57User reviews
    • 95Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 9 nominations

    Videos1

    Goodbye Solo
    Trailer 2:19
    Goodbye Solo

    Photos15

    Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Red West and Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Red West in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Red West and Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Red West and Souleymane Sy Savane in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Mamadou Lam in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Trevor Metscher in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Carmen Leyva in Goodbye Solo (2008)
    Lane 'Roc' Williams in Goodbye Solo (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Souleymane Sy Savane
    Souleymane Sy Savane
    • Solo
    Red West
    Red West
    • William
    Diana Franco Galindo
    • Alex
    Lane 'Roc' Williams
    • Roc
    Mamadou Lam
    • Mamadou
    Carmen Leyva
    • Quiera
    Peter N. Anyieth
    • DVD Seller
    Jim Babel
    Jim Babel
    • Airline Interviewer
    Sarah S. Brooks
    • Passenger with Hat
    Lasheka Brown
    • Crack Passenger
    Neill Fleeman
    • Airline Interviewer
    Jamill 'Peaches' Fowler
    • Pork Chop
    Evelia Garcia
    • Bar Owner
    Chris Greene
    Chris Greene
    • Thug
    Viktor Hernandez
    Viktor Hernandez
    • Quiera's Cousin
    Wel Mayom Jok
    • DVD Seller
    J. Malaak Juuk
    • Motel Janitor
    Damian Jewan Lee
    Damian Jewan Lee
    • Passenger
    • (as Damian Lee)
    • Director
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • Writers
      • Bahareh Azimi
      • Ramin Bahrani
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bahrain said in an interview that his script was inspired by "Taste of Cherry" 1997 by Abbas Kiarostami.
    • Goofs
      The protagonist's taxi is shown on the Linville Viaduct. This is not on the route between Blowing Rock and Winston-Salem.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Alex: I'm sure you can get this one. "In the event of a water evacuation, what are the six steps a flight attendant must take?" Aw come on Solo, I know you, you can get them...

      Solo: One, form a barrier. Two, check conditions and redirect when exits are blocked. Three, open exits and inflate slides.

      Alex: You're doing alright right now.

      Solo: Four, when opening a door exit to evacuate an aircraft, rotate the handle in the direction of the arrow, and open the door forcefully enough that it locks against the side of the fuselage...

    • Connections
      References Flannel Pajamas (2006)

    User reviews57

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    The essence of compassion, given freely with an open heart
    Some people are so attached to their story that they manage to continually sabotage their aliveness and their capacity for love. Even when someone reaches out to them and challenges the skewed way in which they have constructed their world, they effectively shut them out. Ramin Bahrani's third feature, Goodbye Solo, is about William, a man clinging to his victimization act so tightly that he turns away from the only person who cares, a high-energy cab driver from Senegal who is willing to go the extra mile to tear down the wall that separates William from his fellow human beings.

    Similar in narrative to Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece A Taste of Cherry, Solo (Souléymane Sy Savané) a Senegalese immigrant living in Winston Salem, North Carolina (where the director grew up) picks up a 72-year-old Caucasian passenger named William, played by Red West, a former Marine, stuntman, boxer, and bodyguard for Elvis Presley, who Solo refers to as "Big Dog". We learn next to nothing about the cantankerous old man. He refuses to engage the gregarious Solo in conversation except to offer him $1000 to drive him to Blowing Rock, a windy mountainous area, in two weeks with the depressing implication that it will be the end of the road for him, both literally and figuratively.

    Similar in theme to Mike Leigh's Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky, Solo does not back off from his selfless display of good humor even when confronted by William's cold rejection. He maintains his optimism when studying for an exam to become a flight attendant. Solo knows where to find drugs or a sexual partner but there is no hint that he ever partakes. Eventually some of his positive attitude begins to break down barriers. William helps Solo in his studying, and allows him to move into his motel room when he runs into marital difficulties with his pregnant Mexican wife (Carmen Leyva). They go out drinking together, Solo introduces him to his stepdaughter Alex (Diana Franco Galindo), does his laundry for him, checks his medicine stash to see if he has some hidden terminal illness, and even searches the motel room to try and find a picture of a relative he could contact.

    Gradually the two men appear to draw closer, at times showing moments of connection, and then falling back into uncertainty and rejection. Solo still searches for the clue that can prevent the inevitable, even going so far as to find out why William continually attends a local movie theater and engages in conversation with the young cashier at the box office. Bahrani's Solo is not a stereotype of the cool hip black man out to rescue the forlorn white man from himself. Solo is a multi-faceted human being with his own set of problems who is always depicted with respect. The finale, shot in the beautiful North Carolina Mountains in October, captures the stirring symphony of autumn color, and the long look that William and Solo give each other before they part is the essence of compassion, given freely with an open heart - even to the point when no payback is achieved or expected.
    helpful•23
    3
    • howard.schumann
    • Jun 15, 2009

    FAQ2

    • What is 'Goodbye Solo' about?
    • Is "Goodbye Solo" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 26, 2009 (Belgium)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • MySpace
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Wolof
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Solo
    • Filming locations
      • Blowing Rock, North Carolina, USA
    • Production companies
      • Gigantic Pictures
      • ITVS International
      • Lucky Hat Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $870,781
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $38,042
      • Mar 29, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $942,209
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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