Shows how great Wright is as a director

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2009)

The Soloist- *** This movie is a test in my eyes, showing how great of a director Joe Wright is, for those of you who were unsure. This is the man who brought us the fantastic 2005 version of "Pride and Prejudice" and 2007's wonderful "Atonement". With those movies, he was working with great stories based on best selling novels. Here, he is working from the source material of an author, but it is a story that is very cliché.
The author is Steve Lopez, who is played by Robert Downey Jr., who's life was changed after he meets a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers, who sits in a traffic tunnel, with his cello, beautifully playing classical music. Lopez, in the film, is divorced, broken and lost. Even though the real Lopez is happily married and one of the L.A. Times most valuable resources, I understand why they made slight changes to the character. This is a typical Hollywood feel good story, right down to the forced moments of emotion with the instrumental music kicking in even more than usual.
This movie was supposed to come out in the Fall of 2008, upgrading its chance to garner some Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor and etc. Shortly before it was supposed to be released, the movie was puled from its date and placed in a spring time slot. When this happened, many questioned how good it actually was.
As stated before, the movie is not bad, it is actually well made for what it was, but it is all too familiar. The performances are even very well done, Downey Jr. and Foxx have great chemistry. Separately, they are even great. Downey, gives his character a vulnerable charm that comes across quite well. Foxx, who could of just made Nathaniel a one dimensional character, makes the role something worth the price of admission.
As I write this review, I have really no desire to go into it. I know I gave it three stars, but it is given because the movie would have been a disaster if it did not have talent behind it.