Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, ‘Solo Mio’ starts its story about love and friendship from a very unusual point, with artist Matt Taylor realizing that he has been stood up at his wedding. Having planned a full week of fun, expensive activities that he cannot get a refund on, Matt makes the bold decision to travel all of Rome by himself. All this time, however, a part of him is unable to let go of where things might have gone wrong, and it is then that he meets and befriends Gia, a local cafe owner, who changes his life. Gia arrives with no judgment or bias and instead points Matt towards a more hopeful future, one where he can fall in love with life in all its shades. At its heart, this rom-com movie is about dealing with the most complicated emotions in the mature way possible, and how, very often, that needs courage more than anything else.
Solo Mio is a Work of Fiction That Builds Off of Romantic Comedy Classics
‘Solo Mio’ is a fictional story penned by Patrick Kinnane, John Kinnane, and Kevin James, and draws its creative lineage from old-school romantic comedy. In a conversation with Comic Book Movie, Kevin, who also stars as the protagonist, described the movie as an attempt to “do something really beautiful and different from my typical comedy, something elevated, hopeful, and fun.” As such, the crew drew from all-time great rom-com titles like ‘When Harry Met Sally’ and ‘Roman Holiday,’ especially borrowing from the idea of an international romance. That said, the similarity only exists on a thematic level, as the plot of the film itself is a wholly original construct.
For the Kinnane brothers, the making of this film was in many ways a family collaboration. John Kinnane has noted that, alongside Patrick, 6 of his brothers worked on the film in some capacity. John found his passion for screenplay writing began a decade ago, and in 2017, he started the educational platform Screenplayed, which syncs and compares film and TV sequences to their screenplay counterparts. Analyzing the scripts and how they come to life on screen was and continues to be a big part of John’s journey, and it is reflected in how ‘Solo Mio’ is written.
Realistic Character Work is What Makes This Story Excel
Actor Kevin has called ‘Solo Mio’ the film he is most proud of making to date, and it’s because of how much of his heart he was able to pour into it while filming. The thing that makes his character, Matt Taylor, feel so believable is that his age is an important part of who he is. “It’s the pressure of being the age he is and feeling like my options are running out,” Kevin noted in an interview with United Press International, and it’s that very characterization that makes the portrayal memorable. Another detail that humanizes the movie is that Heather is never painted as a villain. Instead, the film draws from the real-life complexities of romantic relationships, balancing multiple perspectives to create a nuanced portrayal.
Fittingly, a film about the uncertainties of human life and relationships is full of improvisations. Actors Kim Coates and Alyson Hannigan, who play lovebirds Julian and Meghan, collaborated to create a backstory for their characters, and it is the flexibility of this story that makes that so easy. Another highlight of ‘Solo Mio’ is the fact that it’s set in Italy, and was largely filmed there as well. Blending Italian vistas, cultures, and cuisine into the film added a unique touch to the film, especially since the story is about exploration and finding joy. While the rom-com plotline is a work of fiction, the real strength of this film lies in how relatable the characters and their conflicts feel.
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