Solo

Despite the excitement I had watching the build up to this movie on FOXTEL after seeing Morgan O'Neill win the project greenlight Australia competition, even my expectations were surpassed. O'Neill has crafted an authentic Australian crime movie that fulfills its promise to entertain.

We are introduced to Barrett in the movie, sublimely played by Colin Friels, and I would challenge any viewer to feel a pathos for this heartless dealer in death. However O'Neill achieves what every director aims for: to make us care for the characters he has created. To be perfectly honest I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances and thought the casting was top notch.

The camera work also deserves a mention as there are some wonderful lighting effects . The jazz soundtrack is sensual and matches the side of Sydney O'Neill is exhibiting. There is also some Australian hip-hop in a scene set in Sydney's seedy King's Cross whose only criticism I have is that it isn't long enough.

As a Sydney-sider this is the first time since watching "Two Hands" that I have felt a movie has captured the texture of one of the world's great cities.

Another special mention must go to Vince Colossimo whose performance I thoroughly enjoyed and I felt to be the best of the movie, perhaps this is down to the fact that I like seeing this type of a character in the movie.

O'Neill has also mastered the use of Australian humor in his work as the lines feel natural to the characters and reminded me of the Lock, Stock type of delivery. Kudos O'Neill, Kudos

This is a pretty cool Aussie crime flick in the style of Two Hands, Chopper, Dirty DEeds, Getting Square, etc. More serious and less comedic than some of those films but with a style of it's own.

The actors are all very good as is the directing and the camera-work. Morgan O Neill the director spoke after the screens and shared some interesting tit bits about the production of the film.... it cost only one million and a bit to make and was shot in only 21 days. COlin Friels is especially good as the main character who is a hit-man.

All in all well worth watching especially if your a fan of movies like lock stock or Pulp fiction.

Having read the screenplay on Project Greenlight, I was keen to see how it turned out. It was true to the script, which is what one would hope when the director is also the writer, but there were scenes which could have been deleted without diminishing the impact of the film. When I read the script, I got the feeling of a comic-book story and there's nothing wrong with this--gritty, tough, seamy underside of a big city. Somehow the film didn't quite carry this across and seemed to be trying to add more credibility to what could be just a good, slightly-clichéd action flick. One thing that I thought was that it was shot on video. Some of the scenes definitely lacked the sharp crispness of film and I was surprised to see the Kodak logo in the end credits. I was also surprised that they could shoot it on film and keep it in the AUD1M budget. Shooting on video could have actually added a grainy dimension which would suit this film noir genre. The choice of music was as good as it gets.

Although this story is cliché'd or not the most original, this indi film, still manages to be an essential exciting watch. Jack Barrett, a now older looking Friels, again turning in a solid performance plays a stand over man/hit-man who by his ragged and wearied looks, has done one too many hits, not just with his latest, but one of past, that comes back to bite him on the ass. The film starts off with Friels disposing of certain body parts in the water, off one of Sydney's beaches. He chucks up, realizing at this moment, he can't keep doing what he's doing, and too, he's just turned 53, so it's time to grow up. He confronts his boss, some English geezer, of course laughing at him, but Friels can't make himself anymore clearer. He grants Friels his freedom providing he does last hit, involving a real live spark of a university student, (Bojana Novakovic) doing a paper on a certain crime figure. Friels of course prolongs this, as forming a friendship with this girl. These mob guys of course, who run the drug and prostitution rackets are getting peeved by this. Just to let him know they mean business, they let off a couple of warning shots at Friels and company, while they stand on those big flat rocks, that overlook Clovelly Beach, while sharing some hot chips. I loved the sucking up kid, Trent, who mob father's played by Tony Barry. The man at the top is Haywood, at first, almost unrecognizable, proving again, how he's just one of Aussie's best actors ever. But the real acting revelation in this though was Novakovic, although she's done earlier films, quite the seasoned pro, who brings so much to her spirited role, where still so young, life is just big party, but she has ulterior motives here. The last thing, tough boy, Friels wants to do is kill her, so he fakes her death, where the twist later is a killer. Friels too shows us what happens if someone mistreats his aging pro friend (Angie Milliken). The other treat is the comic An Rah somebody, where he and his sisters have a standoff with Friels in an open Cabramatta Street, and for good reason. Another scene ensues a couple of ones later. This film, the first, from a newcomer director is impressive debut, a solid thriller with good bits of action, that makes good use of some Sydney locations. If not this, watch this film just the hot Novakovic.

Solo is a well executed crime flick starring accomplished Aussie acting stalwart Colin Friels, with familiar faces Vince Colosimo, Chris Haywood and Bruce Spence in minor support roles.

A reworking of the old retiring cop on his last/worst day scenario, Sydney based hitman/standover guy 'Barrett' (Friels) wants out but struggles to extricate himself from the clutches of the bad men and the bad good men in blue for whom he is breaking long-standing arrangements.

Also standing in the way of Barrett's desire to go solo fishing for the rest of his days is female uni student (Billie) who's brave yet naïve pursuit of writing the Godfather of all PHd's on the local crime scene places them both in the cross hairs.

Clever writing and direction toys with viewers' allegiances, with Barrett and Billie's inverted character portrayals leading to arguably a surprising (yet justified upon reflection) conclusion for those who chance upon Solo on Youtube and grant it a well spent 90 minutes of their time.