''Solo'' is a 2023 Canadian

romantic drama Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

film, written and directed by

Sophie Dupuis Sophie Dupuis is a Quebec film director and screenwriter, from Val-d'Or who studied at Concordia University and the Université du Québec à Montréal whose feature film debut ''Family First (film), Family First (Chien de garde)'' premiered in 20 ...

.Charles-Henri Ramond
"Solo, en salle le 15 septembre"
''Films du Québec'', May 4, 2023. The film stars

Théodore Pellerin Théodore Pellerin (, born June 13, 1997) is a Canadians, Canadian film and television actor from Quebec. He is most noted for his performance in the 2018 film ''Family First (film), Family First (Chien de garde)'', for which he won the Prix Iris ...

as Simon, a young emerging

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

who is drawn into a passionate but complicated romance with Olivier (

Félix Maritaud Félix Maritaud (born 12 December 1992) is a French actor notable for his roles in French queer cinema. Career Maritaud began to garner recognition after starring in a string of French independent films, most notably ''BPM (Beats per Minute)''. ...

), while simultaneously navigating a reunion with his estranged mother Claire (

Anne-Marie Cadieux Anne-Marie Cadieux (born September 23, 1963) is a Canadian actress, film director and screenwriter. She has won a Jutra Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in '' Streetheart (Le Cœur au poing)'' and in 2008 was nominated for a Genie Aw ...

), whom he has not seen since she left Canada 15 years earlier to pursue her career as an opera singer. The film's cast also includes Jean Marchand, Vlad Alexis, Tommy Joubert, Alice Moreault and Marc-André Leclair. Its soundtrack includes music by

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

Marie Davidson Marie Davidson (born 1987) is a French-Canadian electronic musician and producer from Montreal. Career Davidson was part of the duo Les Momies de Palerme, along with Xarah Dion. Their album, ''Brûlez ce coeur'', was released on Constellation Re ...

CRi CRI or CRi may refer to: Organizations * Canadian Rivers Institute, for river sciences, University of New Brunswick * Cancer Research Institute, New York, US * Centro de Relaciones Internacionales (International Relations Center), Universidad Nac ...

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

Dominique Fils-Aimé Dominique Fils-Aimé is a Canadian singer from Quebec, whose album ''Stay Tuned!'' was shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize and won the Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020. Born and raised in Montrea ...

, Alma Faye Brooks, Filippin & Runah,

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...

and

Mitsou Mitsou Annie Marie Gélinas (born September 1, 1970, in Loretteville, Quebec) is a Canadian pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host, and actress. She is credited as Mitsou Gélinas when acting, but records simply as Mitsou (the Fre ...

Production

The film entered production in 2022, under the working title ''Drag''. Dupuis has acknowledged the risk that the film may be controversial in the contemporary political climate around the legitimacy of drag, but has described the film as a "gesture of activism" in defense of the art form. Dupuis has described her directorial process as one in which she does not present a finished script at the outset, but instead works extensively with her actors to "rehearse a lot and bring new ideas, propose, deconstruct something, maybe brainstorm with me, and we rewrite" before arriving at the final script. Pellerin noted in interviews that after production concluded on '' Family First (Chien de garde)'', Dupuis asked him if there were any particular roles he would be interested in playing in the future, and he said a drag queen.

Distribution

The film premiered at the

2023 Toronto International Film Festival The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2023.Victoria Ahearn"TIFF reveals new programmers and other 2023 festival details" '' Playback'', April 20, 2023. The most noted change from past years was tha ...

, and screened as the opening film of the 2023

Quebec City Film Festival Quebec City Film Festival (french: Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec) (FCVQ or QCFF) is a film festival held annually in September in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It screens short and feature films and premieres movies from all over the ...

, before going into commercial release in September 2023.

Critical response

Allan Hunter of ''

Screen Daily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

'' described the film as containing elements of ''

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...

'', ''

Opening Night A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

'' and '' Passages'', writing that "Dupuis is well served by her actors. The female characters generally have less impact but Alice Moreault makes the most of the loyal Maude as she is forced into the role of helpless bystander to her brother’s growing unhappiness. Felix Martaud lends Olivier a light, seductive charm that can always be switched on if it is to his advantage. He also brings the weary air of someone who only wants a relationship on his terms and will suffer neither challenge nor tantrum. Recently seen as Beau’s son in '' Beau Is Afraid'' (2023), the prolific Pellerin is perfectly cast as Simon. All windmill arms and wounded heart, his surface confidence as Glory Gore is distinct from the vulnerabilities he reveals as someone unable to believe that he is entirely worthy of love." The film was named to TIFF's annual

Canada's Top Ten Canada's Top Ten is an annual honour, compiled by the Toronto International Film Festival and announced in December each year to identify and promote the year's best Canadian films."Canada's Top Ten awards will honour excellence in Canadian cinema" ...

list for 2023.Pat Mullen
"TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Includes BlackBerry, Solo, Humanist Vampire"
''That Shelf'', December 6, 2023.

Awards

References

External links

* {{TIFF Best Canadian Film 2023 LGBT-related films 2023 romantic drama films 2023 films 2020s Canadian films 2020s French-language films Canadian LGBT-related films Canadian romantic drama films Drag (entertainment)-related films Films about mother–son relationships Films directed by Sophie Dupuis Films set in Montreal Films shot in Montreal French-language Canadian films LGBT-related romantic drama films