Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

PeterMitchell-506-564364 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.

Theramon K I was out in Sydney during their Film Festival and just happened to see "Solo" being advertised at this cool little cinema down by the Opera House called the Dendy. I went and checked it out and have to say enjoyed myself thoroughly right the way through with some turns in the Movie that caught me off guard.The Aussie humour I dig so much and this movie captured it in spades. Found out later that the dude who made this film had won project greenlight and it was his first feature. This guy will go places and I'm looking forward to the next flick he brings out as I love that edge he created in Solo and I love a movie that I walk away thinking I should've seen it coming but I just got blindsided.Top Marks from me! Well done.

ben-zadrine84 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.

MissBB Morgan O' Neill's Solo is the first Australian film produced under the Project Greenlight banner, where a first time writer/ director was provided with $1 million dollars to get their film made. Working with a total budget that probably wouldn't cover the catering bill on a big summer blockbuster, O'Neill has crafted a gritty urban thriller, set deep within Sydney's criminal underworld. Colin Friels' Jack Barrett has built a life making people disappear for the criminal kingpins, but has finally reached a decision to go straight. Certainly, it's a cliché, but clichés become cliché's for a reason, because they work. When a young university honours student (Bojana Novakovic) starts digging a little too deep with her research on underworld crime, Barrett is ordered to "terminate her research career permanently". The film then tracks the relationship between the two, the hit-man and his mark. O'Neill has crafted a tight script where the twists are surprising, but always believable. Friels' opening monologue is a particularly wonderful piece of dialogue and serves to hook the viewer from the start. The performances are generally good, with Linal Haft and Angie Milliken particularly strong. Some artistic decisions let the film down somewhat. An appalling wardrobe choice sees Friel's Barrett in flashback, dressed in fright wig and terrible moustache. Rather than evoking the mid 70s as it's supposed to, you could be forgiven for mistaking him for an extra from a Comedy Inc sketch. Such costuming effectively removes much of the power such scenes should (and could) have contained. That said, Solo is an excellent low budget film, but importantly it is also an impressive film in its own right. O'Neill has gone a way to proving what logic keeps telling film lovers: It's not how much money is thrown at a film that makes it watchable, but the more intrinsic elements of script, plot and performance.