The aptly named California Solo is one of those films that is entirely concerned with telling one individual’s story; all other characters are there to either help drive the story forward or provide background information on the central character. These kind of stories stand or fall on that character being interesting, well written and, crucially, being portrayed by a talented actor. Luckily, California Solo succeeds on all fronts and is powered by an amazing performance by Robert Carlyle. The part of Lachlan MacAldonich, a forgotten former Britpop star in self-imposed exile in the California hills was written by writer/director Marshall Lewy especially for Carlyle, and despite some of the incredibly memorable performances he’s given over the years, there’s a good chance that this will be remembered as his best.
The alcoholic Lachlan is the former guitarist for The Cranks, a Scottish band that recorded two successful albums in the mid-90s before the death of their lead singer, who was also Lachlan’s brother, Jed, caused them to fade into obscurity. He’s now working on a farm outside Los Angeles and in his spare time records a podcast where he discusses the lives and deaths of great deceased musicians. When Lachlan is caught drunk driving and is threatened with deportation, it emerges that the thing he fears most is being forced to move back to the UK.
It’s the kind of slow-burning story that bit by bit fills in the gaps as it moves along. We’re presented with a broken man and then gradually we learn what broke him. This means that by the time we’ve learned about some of the mistakes and life choices he’s made, which may not make him a particularly sympathetic character, we’ve already grown to like him and are rooting for him to find redemption. It also brings to mind Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, in that it’s a character piece about a man abandoned by fame and coming to terms with his past and current demons. The obvious difference between the two films is that Mickey Rourke’s Randy “The Ram Robinson was desperate to relive and hang on to his fame; while Lachlan McAldonich wants nothing more than to be forgotten.
California Solo is a film about a musician not necessarily about music, but it still manages to be nostalgic and respectful not only towards the Britpop era of the 90s but also to earlier musicians such as Marc Bolan, whom Lachlan lists as inspirations on his show. It also made this reviewer feel quite old, as it seems the predominant musical scene of my childhood took place long enough ago now that films can be written about its aging victims! Although we only hear a few snatches of songs by The Cranks, they were put together by Adam Franklin and New York band The Violens, and they sound not only authentic but pretty damn good.
In fact authenticity is California Solo’s greatest strength. It’s beautifully shot in an understated, unflashy way and there isn’t a moment that doesn’t feel completely real. This allows you to become completely immersed in Lachlan Macaldonich’s story and to buy him as a real person who existed before the film started and will continue to exist after the credits roll. Hopefully, when this American film get’s a UK release, its British star will get all the award recognition he deserves.
Overall Verdict: A truly affecting and realistic sad song of a film that avoids clichés and is driven by a blisteringly raw and vulnerable performance from Robert Carlyle.
Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon