The opening scene of S.O.L. shows, Victor, a young man played by Nathan O. Miller and he's in a night club, by himself, shaking his head. From that point on we learn that this young man is horrible with woman. A universal theme that haunts most boys growing up. Though he might give off that attractive appeal that young women can't resist, there's just no making up for somebody that is simply bad with women. Like people that can't parallel park or people that freeze when they get up to speak in front of a crowd. There's no real understanding for why they can't do either, they just can't. It's a universal theme that is understood by everyone. Some guys just take longer to understand how to talk to women.
But it's great to have friends that will help you along the way. S.O.L. follows Victor along with his friends who help him try to get laid. What makes this different from the many films out there with the same theme? The way it's executed. First time director Yuri Machado used his own equipment and with the help of his film colleagues that he met while attending college as well as those he worked with when he worked at PBS. As he likes to refer to this as a "hand-made" film, it's just that. With a budget of zero dollars, Yuri had to spend what little money he made from working at PBS to make this work. No actors were paid, and everybody that was involved worked voluntarily. The result was a beautifully shot film that resembles what we're used to seeing on the silver screen.
The real difference is how relatable these characters are. Instead of finding Victor as this typical guy who wanted some action in bed, you felt a real understanding of how difficult is to be young man, even if you got the looks, it doesn't always translate to clocking hours in the bedroom with the ladies. He also has a imagination of how things could be and from time to time, he daydreams about how he wishes things were. And instead of his friends making fun of him along the way, they gave a support system. Not just, here take this chick that's easy, but instead, here's what you have to do and we're here to help you along the way.
Amidst this is his friend Paul, played by James Lopez who spends his time smoking the green. There's also Mike, played by Sam Wood, who has a very angry and abusive girlfriend, Sabrina, played by Lindsey Ritchie. His main boy is Nando, played by Fernando Aguilar, who is the opposite of Victor and has no problem getting women's attention. This tight knit crew helps Victor work out his issues along the way. Rather than just being a typical slim ball that wants to get laid, Victor is very likable, which is what I think makes his character different from the many other characters from other films that have that same goal.
When Los Angeles and New York City seem to be the place to be for anything film or TV related, Yuri Machado and those that he's worked with in this short film, as well as films he's been involved with during 2011 and now 2012, he and they are proving that Tucson, Arizona is not only a good place to be an independent filmmaker, but that it's a place where there's a pool of talent and you can shine just as easily. If you can get past the heat, you'll realize that this city is a good place to start and establish yourself. I'm excited to see the kind of work he and this group will produce in years to come.