This is a Movie for Beethoven Lovers

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2009)

I will start this review by saying that I am very biased toward this movie. I am a music lover. I believe it is impossible for any music lover, especially an admirer of Beethoven, to be disappointed by this movie. I also adore Joe Wright, the director, and director of such amazing films as Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. The Soloist is vastly different from those film, but he pulls it together in a way that I greatly admire.
This is based on a true story about a journalist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), who finds a talented homeless man, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx), on the streets of Los Angeles. He went to Juliard School of Music, but, due to his own personal demons, dropped out and played on the streets. Lopez writes some articles about him and attempts to help him. The movie is about their relationship.
The movie has been billed as rather uplifting. But it really is not. It's about a crazy homeless man who remains crazy and homeless to this very day. The story does follow an arc, but the ending is not as satisfying as if it were a storybook, unlike Wright's other two movies. And that's what many critics, and everyone else is criticizing. But I think that comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of the music. Roger Ebert, the great movie critic himself, said "As for the music, Beethoven of course is always uplifting, but the movie doesn't employ him as an emotional showstopper..." which is completely and utterly wrong. The thing is, Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, specifically the first and second movements are used many times throughout the movie perfectly, as "emotional showstoppers." Plus, Beethoven isn't always uplifting! Specifically the 3rd Symphony which is basically a tribute to a schizophrenic hero. The first movement is heroic, beautiful. The second is a torrential funeral march. They are used throughout the movie brilliantly, adding meaning to each scene for those who are familiar with the music. It runs perfectly with the life of the schizophrenic hero of the movie, one that is doomed to end problematically, despite all efforts. Joe Wright understood the importance of the music in this movie, and he picked it perfectly.
Joe Wright is my best friend. He's introducing newness into Hollywood movies. He tells stories in a traditional manner, but adds in innovative and original "camera tricks" in each one. And they all have so much depth and artistic focus. That's one thing he has, artistic focus. And it always comes at exactly the right time. He does some amazing things with music and the city in this film, and he's nothing short of brilliant for doing it.
Downey is amazing. I saw a 60 Minutes special about the real Lopez and Ayers, and though Lopez was nothing like the character in this movie, I will forever remember him like this. Which if fine. Downey played his character spectacularly. Ayers, however, was exactly like Foxx portrayed him in the movie. Foxx is a brilliant actor; he gets deep into his characters, and he isn't afraid of what that means.
In all honestly, this may be Wright's weakest film. The editing is a bit weak in the beginning. It doesn't follow a natural path for a movie near the end. But for someone who understands the music, it will be one of the best you are likely to see. I spent several months deeply studying it, and was greatly rewarded for it by this film. If anyone else did the same, they would see how brilliant this movie is.