Solas is a Spanish story of the interrelationships between a hard drinking thirty five year old woman, her saintly mother, her wicked father and a lonely neighbour. The initial themes deal not only with motherly concepts, but with desperation, alienation and loss of happiness caused by an anonymous world. The tale seems stark and slow at first, and you think, O Lordy, this is a bit bloody grim! But at some indifinable point, you're hooked! Solas is one of the most moving films I've seen. The acting, characterisation and dialogue (as far as I could tell from the subtitles) is priceless. Solas is quietly masterful, a rewarding work of passion. Simply recalling how the characters started out and comparing that with how they ended up is awe inspiring. 10/10
