I’m trying to think of the perfect antonym for heavy-handed that would describe this exquisite film. Director Ramin Bahrani’s hand is so delicately at work that there are moments, often long and pain-stricken, where you forget entirely that someone made this film and you begin to believe that a camera simply caught this moment in time without a stitch of human interference. That sometimes means some drawn out cab rides with the title character Solo as he weaves his way through the lackluster streets of Winston-Salem. Solo’s unwavering optimism and charm is infectious, particularly in the face of his perpetually silent and tragic passenger William. It’s easy to see Solo’s pursuit of the American dream as a commentary on the struggle immigrants face in our world, but it’s much more powerful to see this film as snippet of the lives of people (not immigrants) struggling with real life (not American life). It was heartbreaking and uplifting, simple and alive. I’m really happy that I can watch Bahrani’s other films, Chop Shop and Man Push Cart, instantly on Netflix.
