Pellerin’s diverse and moving performance is by far the shining star of “Solo.” Simon is marked mostly by tenderness, and Pellerin’s expressive eyes capture all the care and passion that brims within him desperate for a safe space to let out. Maritaud as Olivier is fantastically frustrating, locked into an at-first heartwarming chemistry with Pellerin, placing his finger on the pulse of Olivier’s manipulative arrogance with equal emotional accuracy.
Dupuis’s script is wonderfully tapped into the connection between Simon’s heart and artistry, using his drag performances to illustrate his states of being. From illuminating solo performances to a spectrum of duets with Olivier, and a heartbreaking operatic tribute to his mother, each set is its own diary entry in the film. However, the writing sputters in its transitions. Whether from onstage to off or emotional highs to lows, “Solo” often hard cuts from the end of one to the middle of the other, giving both whiplash and confusion throughout the run time. Though these transitions eventually make their way to clarity, the suddenness of the initial impact is a frequent hurdle we are made to jump.
The film bursts with energy from the neon and bass of the dopamine-filled club and warm, sunlit moments at home to clenching, devastating tears shed in dejection. “Solo” is above all a portrait of an artist. Simon molds his artistry and identity as any creative does, through emotional wreckage and redemption, self-discovery, and insatiable passion for his craft. Through Dupuis’s eye, this story is empathetic and involved, and this feeling persists despite disorganization’s attempt to shake its structure. At its heart is a reverence for the art and culture of drag, and the ambition of “Solo” is an exciting preview to what bother Dupuis and Pellerin have to offer.