Two men... Seemingly worlds apart. Nothing in common. They come from such different backgrounds. One is a young man who has recently come of age, he probably could be doing better with his life. The other an older man with expressions and lines on his face that seem so deep, with eyes that have probably seen everything. Peering into the face of William (Red West) there are a million stories, including one that he refuses to speak about that disturbs him greatly. Shortly after the film Goodbye Solo begins, Will is picked up in a cab by a young Senegalese man named Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane), and with few words hands him several dollars. He also asks that Solo pick him up 2 weeks later, where he will be given several more dollars, then to be driven to the mountains, and left there.
It is quickly apparent that Will (affectionately referred to as "Big Guy" by Solo) wants to end it all, but Solo with his boyish and extroverted charm demands an explanation without letting him get away with it. Solo the extrovert-optimist remarks, "hey man come on put that $100 back mon tomorrow's another day!".
The two actors end up in a sort of tit for tat exchange throughout the movie. Solo slowly tries to get through to Will, desperately trying to break in to his secluded world. However, with the few glimpses that we witness there is more to these two characters than we imagined.
They appear worlds apart but in reality are very much the same. It's only after following them through their lives to be better people that we understand their flaws and failed aspirations.
This isn't a film so much about life or death, but about important journeys. Director Ramin Bahrani borrows a lot from other Iranian films particularly ideas of Kiarostami such as the film "10". Ironically those both take place within the confines of a cab and the driver. However, Ramin has been able to take characters in America (set in the Winston-Salem North Carolina area) to tell us something about ourselves and the paths in life we have to take.
Will's life and his presence in Solo's seem so far removed from each other, yet this is the wake up call Solo needs even though it makes NO sense whatsoever. Before they know it they are sharing a motel room with Will acting like the senior father figure, "SIT OVER THERE AND KEEP YOUR SHIT OUT OF MY SPACE!" he yells after finally succumbing to Solo's constant demands to hang out with him. But Will isn't the biggest jerk on the planet either. In one of the most memorable scenes of the film he gives away one of his last pieces of clothing for free to a Sudanese motel worker. The perception and the context it takes place is one of those things about film that is so simple but something that most film-makers are oblivious to reproduce.
Witty, farcical, brilliantly acted, extremely poignant is how I would describe it. Everything comes full circle between these two men in stories and pasts relived that I dare not describe. Two people worlds apart but in reality far from it. This is a fantastic perception into the lives of people who you thought you could have nothing in common with indeed, and says more about America's dreams than anything I've ever seen since. A must see.
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