California Solo

California Solo: A Melancholy Character Study with a Stunning Lead Performance
In the press notes for California Solo, writer-director Marshall Lewy defines "FEAR" as an acronym that can mean either: "f*** everything and run" or "face everything and recover." Perhaps, more than anything, that is the underlying theme of his new movie California Solo. Starring Robert Carlyle in a mesmerizing performance, California Solo traces the first steps of one faded former Britpop rocker from once sense of fear to the other.

When we meet the movie's central character Lachlan MacAldonich, whom Carlyle infuses with equal portions of self-loathing and charm, he is living a comfortably numb existence. Carlyle is perfectly cast as Lachlan, the Scottish former lead guitarist in a "big deal" `90s British rock band, the Cranks. The band's real "big deal" was Lachlan's older brother, the Cranks lead singer Jed, who died tragically of a drug overdose years earlier in L.A.

By night, Lachlan hosts a rather morbid podcast called Flameouts, honoring the world's great...

An Understated Character Piece Featuring A Great Robert Carlyle Performance
As a great showcase for underrated actor Robert Carlyle, Marshall Lewy's character study "California Solo" gives him one of his most fully realized roles in years. Truly, I am a fan of Carlyle. Sometimes, though, I forget just how good he can be. This low-key indie really lets Carlyle tap into the depths of the central character. There is no big plot or major drama in this modestly scaled picture, just one man shaken from routine and apathy to look at the life he's chosen and the one he's left behind. Carlyle is so natural, so believable, and so comfortable in the skin of a former British rocker living a quiet life in America! And it's this easy performance that carries "California Solo" to success. The screenplay develops a realistic situation and Carlyle sells it at every turn. There is no artifice in this understated presentation, just a compelling reflection of a life lived.

Set in the rural outskirts of Los Angeles, Carlyle (once a famed wild child) lives a...

Review of DVD - Indie film that revolves around Robert Carlyle as the lead
This 95-minute film was an "Official" selection at Sundance and probably played many other film festivals. It's definitely an independent film on a small budget. Its 30 locations were shot in an amazingly short 21 days. (You learn this from the "Making of..." featurette in the DVD bonuses.

The one "name" actor is Scottish actor Robert Carlyle (who I must admit has an accent thick enough that I know I missed some of his dialogue. And, there are no "subtitle options", which might have helped). He's well-known but was new to me. His character, Lachlan MacAldonich, was in a UK rock band with his brother but - for reasons you will learn in the film - he left the band (well, it broke up) and has been living in California (outside LA ) for the last 10 years. One think you learn about Lachlan is that he drinks a lot. (If the liquid consumed in this film was real alcohol, a good portion of the budget would have been spent on it.) Writer/Director Marshall Lewy intends for Lachlan's...

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