Downey and Foxx Elevate Beyond Conventional Story.

Rating: 5/10 (5 June 2015)

The Soloist (2009): Dir: Joe Wright / Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton: Musical drama about two loners whom connect through common ground. Robert Downey Jr. plays a L.A. Times reporter bent on helping a schizophrenic violinist played by Jamie Foxx who doesn't want to be helped. We know where this is headed and despite the presence of two worthy leads, the material is about as old as rocks. Directed by Joe Wright with terrific music and location shots, which is the one positive highlight. Wright previously scored big with the award winning Atonement, which went beyond its actors and involved them in a compelling plot. That is unfortunately not the case here. Downey Jr and Foxx are two terrific talents that do their best to elevate stale material. We can see the outcome to this twenty blocks away from the theatre we are heading to in order to witness this dread. Catherine Keener and Tom Hollander are underused in supporting roles that really play like space fillers. Keener's character is the ex-wife of Downey Jr whom he now works for. The best element of this film is the two leads, which is great since supporting roles are bland. Despite familiarity the film celebrates music, talent and the graceful presence of friendship that invades the solo lifestyle. Whether that saves the film, is an individual choice. Score: 5 / 10