Goodbye Solo (2008)

Director:

Ramin Bahrani

Writers:

Bahareh Azimi (screenplay)
Ramin Bahrani (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 August 2009 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Two men form an unlikely friendship that will change both of their lives forever.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Senegalese | Multi Ethnic | Bar | Male Male Relationship

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Souleymane Sy Savane	...	Solo
Red West	...	William
Diana Franco Galindo	...	Alex
Lane 'Roc' Williams	...	Roc
Mamadou Lam	...	Mamadou
Carmen Leyva	...	Quiera
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter N. Anyieth	...	DVD Seller
Jim Babel	...	Airline Interviewer
Sarah S. Brooks	...	Passenger with Hat
Lasheka Brown	...	Crack Passenger
Alexandra Dimopoulos	...	Nurse
Neill Fleeman	...	Airline Interviewer
Jamill 'Peaches' Fowler	...	Pork Chop
Evelia Garcia	...	Bar Owner
Chris Greene	...	Thug
Viktor Hernandez	...	Quiera's Cousin
Wel Mayom Jok	...	DVD Seller
J. Malaak Juuk	...	Motel Janitor
Damian Jewan Lee	...	Passenger
Linda Lindsly	...	Airline Interviewer
Djibril Lo	...	Bank Cab Driver
Ken Lugen	...	Taxi Cab Employee
Angus MacLachlan	...	Crack Passenger
Trevor Metscher	...	Ticket Attendant
Caleb Paul	...	Solo's Baby
Christian Prince	...	Thug
Greg Prince	...	Thug
Jeff Prince	...	Thug
Navani Reyes	...	Navani
Catherine Sewell	...	Hospital Receptionist
Norman L. Sloan	...	Pharmacist
Virgilio Tix	...	Quiera's Cousin
Donald Wardlow	...	Sleeping Passenger
Pat West	...	Diner Hostess

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

USA:91 min | Canada:91 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Wolof | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45400) | Brazil:12 | Ireland:PG | UK:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Blowing Rock, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Gigantic Pictures

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The protagonist's taxi is shown on the Linville Viaduct. This is not on the route between Blowing Rock and Winston-Salem.

Movie Connections:

References Broken English (2007)

Best film I saw at Toronto Film Festival

Without a doubt this was the best film I saw at the Toronto Film Festival. My girlfriend and I decided to make a trip up there for a few days to see some films, enjoy the city and catch Niagara Falls. We saw some good films, and some not-so-good films, but most of them were good... but none of them captivated us like Goodbye Solo. It was on our short list because we had seen and really liked Chop Shop-- by the same director. This one is even better. The lead actor is just amazing!! This guy is going to win some awards. He is so charming that you can't help but want to watch everything he does. The whole audience was laughing for like the first half of the film because him and the old man - the big dawg! - are just so funny together and the things they say and do together are just great... but it was the ending that really got us. My girlfriend was crying. So were a lot of people around us... And the last shots are really beautiful. I don't know where they filmed it, but the location was amazing. The mountain and the trees and fog... it was just amazing how the filmed those colors and fog, like it wasn't real or something. The film really, really moved us and stayed with us for the rest of our trip and we talked about it a lot on our drive home. Solo changed so much in the film... that guy is a great actor. We will see it again when it comes out for sure.