A very meaningful movie

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2009)

Amidst the current action packed, technology enhanced group of movies, it was refreshing to watch a movie about humans and humanity. What makes it even stronger and touching is that it is based on a true story.
It is a story of a friendship between a newspaper columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) and a homeless, schizophrenic cellist Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx). The story is well developed and realistic. The acting is excellent. There is a message for everyone- about the homeless and their suffering, and the limits of what one can do to help, as Lopez discovered. The scenes from the homeless shelter in LA are very realistic, using real homeless people to act as themselves. It is a complex story because it is based on a true one. There is no dramatic transformation in Ayers, as a result of Lopez's kind actions. His mental illness remains, but he and those who care for him are able to accept the reality and live with it. There is some improvement in Ayer's living conditions and more important he is able to do what he loves doing- play the cello. Lopez's actions improved Ayer's life to some extent, and he was able to eventually accept the limits of what he could do to help.
If there is a weakness, it is in the beginning. Too much time has been spent on trivia regarding Lopez's life. To some extent that background was necessary, to understand why he got interested in the Ayers story. However, some of the graphic details of his injuries, hospital visit, etc. were unnecessary and did not add to the story. Instead, it would have been better to jump into the Ayers story as quickly as possible. That's when the movie becomes interesting. The plot could have focused more on Ayers and less on Lopez, but I can see why Lopez was the focus- he was the one who wrote the story.
What I particularly liked about the movie was the lack of preaching, and the understated acting. There is no melodrama. It would have been very easy for Foxx and Downey Jr. to become melodramatic, but they kept it more natural. The credit for that should go to the director and the actors.
This is an uplifting film, despite its minor flaws. If you want to see something serious, sensitive, and uplifting, go see this movie.