Since Jed's death, Lachlan hasn't been home to the U.K.—never faced family, friends, and fans. Nor really himself. Now an expat with a green card, in this self-imposed exile, hiding from his past and himself in Antelope Valley, California, Lachlan works on an organic farm owned by Warren (A Martinez in a gentle, sympathetic performance as Lachlan’s patient boss).
That “comfortably numb” existence, and a steady diet of beer and Scotch, seems to be the only way Lachlan can live with himself, getting drunk nightly alone in his tiny hovel of a home or at the local bar. On one such night, Lachlan is pulled over and charged with a DUI; his problems are only just beginning.
A barely-remembered marijuana possession charge from years earlier threatens him with deportation unless he can prove himself valuable to someone—anyone—who is a U.S. citizen. As Lachlan confesses, “I can’t think of anyone who would give a toss whether I’m here or not.”, Lachlan reluctantly turns to his estranged ex-wife Catherine (Kathleen Wilhoite) and daughter Arianwen (Savannah Lathem)—whom he hasn’t seen since she was three years old—as his last desperate hope against facing the music back home. It’s a tricky path for him to take, full of emotional landmines, and, ultimately, there are no easy answers for him.
There is also an ongoing flirtation between Lachlan and Beau, a farmer’s market customer. It would have been easy to take the relationship to its logical end and land them in bed. But it really rings true that it doesn’t wind up that way. Lachlan is clearly so screwed up at this point and so self-destructive at this point, it’s hard to imagine him pursuing it, even though he might desire it. It’s an interesting narrative choice, but it makes a lot of sense, even though it might contradict conventional wisdom (and frustrate those of us more romantic souls).
“Yeah, you know, it’s interesting,” noted Lewy. “I had a couple of screenings last week and that question came up: why don’t they get together. Throughout the film I tried to go in a different direction than you might expect in terms of the path that he’s on.” Lewy also feels that Beau “doesn’t really see him that way. And she never does. She’s intrigued by him; she likes the attention that he is giving her. But that’s not really the direction that the relationship is going to go.”
Article comments
1 - Sharon
Great article Barbara. I just can't wait to see this film!
2 - barbara barnett
Thanks so much Sharon. It's a great film, and Mr. Carlyle is mesmerizing in the role. The movie has been getting uniformly fantastic reviews, which hopefully will nudge the movie into wider distribution.
3 - Betsy
Hi Barbara!
The trip into NYC was worth it for sure. It's a very unusual little movie, confounding expectations at every turn. It's more of a character study/slice of life than anything else.....and Bobby is brilliant. He inhabits this character, who I see as living a life of quiet desperation - almost as if he wants to kill himself slowly. There's one scene in particular that just broke my heart - and I think you know what it was. I also loved that quote about Scottish accents and how Americans feel about them... I don't want to post it here, but I had to laugh, because it's true!
Bobby is a freak actor - he can do anything. I've never seen his psycho films, but his ability to channel emotions is astonishing.
4 - barbara barnett
Hey Betsy. Yes, very unusual little film. I agree with your assessment. Not sure which scene you're referring to (there were a few that came to mind). Shoot me a PM on Twitter :)
We are going to talk about the movie on Monday night's radio broadcast, so stop by and share your review.
5 - Nancy
Brilliant review, Barbara! I can't wait to see this film and hope it comes to Memphis.
Robert Carlyle is one of the most brilliant actors of the past 25 years and I have never been disappointed in anything he's done.
6 - barbara barnett
Thanks so much Nancy! I'm really delighted that the movie seems to be getting pretty uniformly outstanding reviews. It's interesting that California Solo got only middling reviews at Sundance, but it's really made a splash with the critics on its New York opening.
I've pretty much loved Robert Carlyle in everything he's done. I really think, however, when he gets the opportunity to create such a beautifully drawn character, he really shines. Lachlan isn't an especially complex character. His motives and desires are pretty basic. But the character is made deep (and deeper by RC's performance) by inner turmoil.
He's simply brilliant in this movie. Stop by the show Monday night. We'll talk more :)