California Solo

Year: 2012
Country: USA
Run Time: 93 minutes

An intimate portrait of a washed-up Brit pop rocker and the forced mid-life reflection he must make after running into trouble with the law, CALIFORNIA SOLO features a remarkably layered performance by veteran actor Robert Carlyle as the reckless Scotsman Lachlan MacAldonich. A former guitar player for a once popular 90s rock band, Lachlan has settled into a resigned, numb existence on an organic farm on the outskirts of L.A. By day he works at the local farmer's market, which is frequented by Beau, a struggling actress who offers the only spark in Lachlan's monotonous life. By night he washes down his sorrows with whiskey while recording his podcast "Flame-Outs," about the tragic deaths of great musicians. One such dazed night, Lachlan is pulled over and arrested for a drunk-driving charge, digging up a former drug-related arrest and presenting the new, foreboding threat of his deportation. Desperate to avoid facing the guilt he left behind in the U.K., Lachlan is forced to confront past demons closer to home, and must contact his estranged ex-wife and daughter for help. A delicate drama featuring a beautiful, mellow acoustic score, CALIFORNIA SOLO is a story about one man's personal redemption, proving it's never too late to make things right. – M.M.

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