SOLO -- Plus One, Minus Everyone

Review by Joseph Fayed

Solo is a queer romantic drama that proves how messy gay people can be. Director Sophie Dupuis puts the pieces to this puzzle that many queer or queer-friendly filmmakers haven't yet understood. With its mix of estranged family and a torrid love affair that inflicts harm upon an up-and-coming drag queen who vows to overcome all of it, no one is left unscathed. 

Simon (Théodore Pellerin) is a young drag queen performing at a Montreal club. There, he warms himself up to the club's newest performer, Olivier (Felix Maritaud). Simon is head over heels for Olivier, who is willing to give him his time initially. Just as quickly as they begin rehearsing a new act together, they begin a relationship. Amidst all this, Simon finds out his mother, a famous Opera singer he hasn't seen in 15 years, has returned to Montreal for a limited time. Reconnecting with his mother becomes Simon's priority, but what about Olivier? They soon begin to wonder if they have what it takes to maintain what they have in the long term. 

Dupuis's script focuses on the right aspects to make the protagonist, Simon, more interesting while not alienating him too much from his counterpart, Olivier. Their character traits are similar, making them compatible and embraced by Simon's family. Make no mistake, this isn't a film about finding queer acceptance from those you love the most. Simon's family is supportive of him and his relationship, but his troubles with Olivier don't affect them directly. By the time Simon's mother is introduced, any friction Simon may have towards his mom feels secondary to the plot because he has already proven to be unphased by her, and he has become so enamored with Olivier. ​

While we do see tension between Simon and his sister later on, his family has relatively little influence on Simon and how he sees his mother and Olivier. Despite his general closeness to his family, it is good to see how Simon was written to be independent of them and have them have little interference in his decisions. The outcome of his relationship with Olivier is because of how their own perspectives have changed. Olivier, who gradually lets his nature be known, is seductive and charming and owes nobody anything. There is no mask-off moment revealing another side of him towards the end; Dupuis lets the viewer sink into the open book, which is this character she wrote. 

Théodore Pellin and Felix Maritaud are both full of pizzazz on screen. When they lock eyes during more intimate scenes, you are in awe. When they are rehearsing and laughing, you are laughing with them. When either of them is on stage performing, you are feeling vitality. They act alongside each other very well, and because the characters feel very similar, both performances are up to par with each other. In drag, Théodore Pellin is styled almost like Kathie Lee Gifford, which you can't unnotice once you see it, but I consider that makes Pellin's role more camp than it was intended to be by an actor who doesn't typically perform in drag. 

Solo has all eyes on its captivating leading duo. Romance and family are intertwined by a burning passion for more, and under the direction and writing of Dupuis, both have enough space to not intrude on what the other is trying to say. This is a queer drama that does not feel influenced by heteronormative standards or messaging at all, and as we approach Pride month, I think it's a good start. 

Solo is now in theaters.​

Rating: 5/5