The Writer And The Musician

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2009)

'The Soloist' came as a pleasant surprise. For some reason, I thought it was an action film but what it turned out to be is a moving human drama. I love movies about unusual friendship and this one is based on the true story of an L.A. columnist, Goerge Lopez, and a homeless schizophrenic but talented musician, Nathaniel Ayres. Joe Wright does a splendid job as director. With stunning cinematography, he gives raw glimpses of the L.A. streets and the alleys where the homeless, addicts and criminals reside. He avoids sugarcoating the story and mainly stays focused on the two friends. Lopez is in search of an original story and his lackluster attempts just get him more frustrated until one day he suddenly hears a beautiful piece of music played on violin by a homeless man. George's encounter with Nathaniel inspires him to write Ayres's story which gradually touches the lives of many. We also see the growth of a beautiful friendship and this affects George as he becomes determined to help treat Ayres but when his attempts fail, he is frustrated with himself for not being able to do anything. I loved the soundtrack, especially the pieces played by Ayres. Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx deliver very natural performances by playing their parts with utmost conviction. Catherine Keener too does an equally standout job. The only flaw to me was the ending which I felt was a little too rushed. 'The Soloist' is an impressive study of character and I'm glad that it did not turn out to be an action film but instead something bigger and richer.