Goodbye Solo, the third feature from Ramin Bahrani, finds the writer-director finally recognizing that his characters must have a tangible emotional journey. There are certain aspects of that journey in Bahrani's two previous efforts, Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, which are both exceptional films. But in Goodbye Solo, Bahrani embraces catharsis in a way he hadn't previously, without compromising his trademark commitment to humdrum realism. In fact, there's nothing "cinematic" about the unlikely bond that forms between a North Carolina cabbie/Senegalese immigrant (Souléymane Sy Savané) and the irascible 70-year-old (Red West) he drives to the movies -- there's barely even what you would call "fondness." Once it becomes clear this man is thinking of killing himself, most films would submit the suicidal William to a journey toward redemption, in which his faith in life is restored by his new friendship with the driver, Solo. Without giving away the ending, let's just say Goodbye Solo is not nearly so easy to predict. Bahrani revisits two familiar themes from his previous films: blue-collar workers trying to get ahead (Solo wants to become a flight attendant) and the disintegration of the family unit (Solo and William both mourn the estrangement of a family member). These issues have greater resonance here than previously, thanks to the intensely likable performance turned in by Savané, a true discovery. Solo has an infectiously sunny presence that should plaster a grin on the faces of most viewers, but Savané plays him as a complex human capable of a range of emotions, meaning there's nothing saccharine about his more dominant traits. Even if William has conceded defeat, it's nice to know that Solo isn't even acquainted with the concept. By acquainting himself with a slightly more conventional narrative structure, Bahrani has made his best film yet.