A film about the struggle to retain your passion for creativity when it is being stifled by others who don't necessarily appreciate your work, but also a film about how women have to work harder to have their contributions recognised when focused on anything other than placating men, Solo Sunny is also, superficially, a film about that difficult transition period for band members who find themselves without a band.
Renate Krößner is Sunny, the main character. She's an important part of her musical group, The Tornadoes, until the day when she suddenly isn't. That sudden shift in her life leads her into depression, and also forces her back into a life of everyday drudgery that those who know her know will not be a good fit for her.
Co-directed by Konrad Wolf and Wolfgang Kohlhaase, the latter also responsible for the screenplay, with input from Dieter Wolf, this is a fascinating mix of bleak melancholy and short bursts of great energy and happiness. It's almost like watching a truncated timeline of someone with severe bipolar disorder, in some ways, but maybe that just stems from the subject matter, and the particular aesthetic and tone of something made in East Germany at the turn of the 1980s.
The pacing feels a bit off, but that also feels in line with a character who finds her time either passing by too quickly while she holds on to some pleasure or slowing to a crawl as depression takes hold. Whatever is happening onscreen, it's captivating whenever Sunny is at the centre of things, which fortunately makes up most of the runtime.
Krößner is superb in her lead role. I'm not sure I've seen her in many (any?) other movie roles, but I hope to remember her name whenever she appears in any future film viewings. The other cast members orbit around her like stars being overshadowed by a major celestial body, but they all do well in their roles, although the only person I must namecheck is Alexander Lang, who plays Ralph, arguably the person who causes Sunny the most emotional turbulence.
This is the kind of film I love to discover. It was something I knew absolutely nothing about, but was intrigued enough to watch. And it felt impressively interesting and unique. It's not a new firm favourite, nor is it one I would necessarily rush to recommend to many others, but I am glad that I watched it, even if only to have "discovered" the talent of Krößner. Her performance makes up for the pacing issues and some of the scenes that aim for a deliberate air of stifling boredom.
7/10
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