So, it's official: I'm in love with Stephanie Mace. Astute viewers will recognize her as the naked beauty from BROKEN. There are shots in SOLITAIRE (both films were directed by Theodore Collatos) that will take your breath away, like a long close-up of Mace in the backseat of a car. She really knows how to hold a close-up, which is good for a film as contemplative as this one.
The synopsis states that Solitaire is the main character's name, but I would have never gotten that from watching the film. This is a very experimental piece of work, in which we join scenes in the middle and are given only a few clues as to their context. It works because it's been magnificently directed by Collatos.
In the last scene of BROKEN we saw Mace sleeping peacefully in the buff. Here, we first see her puking her guts out. The film then cuts to a Catholic funeral, where Mace is blubbering at the podium. This is an almost uncomfortably fine piece of acting. One could imagine witnessing such a wrenching scene at a funeral, but most filmmakers wouldn't go there. Some might find the scene too long or emotionally raw, but I think it's courageously honest.
The rest of SOLITAIRE is about the funeral's aftermath. It ends with an incredible shot of a broken family on a lonely stretch of road. I love the tone of this shot, and the suspense as we wait for the camera to reveal what's really going on. I don't think Collatos has found material worthy of his talents yet, but shots like this one prove he could be a poetic filmmaker someday.
