www.steelnotesmagazine.com
Steel Notes Magazine
Steel Notes Magazine
March 2017
Film Review
The Golden Future: Review of Solitaire (2008)
By Jerry Saravia (Pseudo Film Critic)
I was not too sure what I was in store for during the opening moments of “Solitaire.” Three
hooligans from Providence, Rhode Island are sitting outside a video store at night, drinking milk
and smoking cigarettes; snazzy little jazz beats are heard in the soundtrack. Could it be the latest
from Jim Jarmusch in an exploration of indifferent young folks who have nothing better to do on
a Saturday night? This is not an objection as I happen to be a huge admirer of Jim Jarmusch,
especially his miraculous debut “Stranger Than Paradise,” but I sensed a tale of anomie
approached on a medium of digital video was something I was n ot prepared for (and I do not
think that I need definitions of steal, take and thief displayed on the screen, more on that later).
Still, to my stunning surprise, “Solitaire” is a tight, solid, romantic and sometimes very funny
drama of young thieves stealing autographed copies of “Titanic.” There is more to it than these
thieves than meets the eye.
Nick Jandl is Riche, a reluctant thief and video store clerk who keeps getting mixed up with a
motley crew of thieves. The most memorable of the bunch is Blondy (Alex Fraioli), a smartass
street hooligan who is willing to do anything for a buck. They all work for Morris (Short Sleeve
Samspon), going on nightly excursions to video stores and stealing fifty “Titanic” VHS copies.
Morris, a snapping bulldog personality, also owns some sort of junk shop and often wears funny,
decorative hats – he is almost a parody of the Big Boss-type in so many of these pictures.
Sometimes Morris tries to act tougher than he really is. The kids are somewhat terrified of him,
though. Incidentally, there is one scene where Morris keeps repeating what he wants Blondy to
Steel Notes Magazine
www.steelnotesmagazine.com
47