Downey and Foxx make a great team

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2009)

There was a statistic they showed at the end of the film that shocked me. It pointed out that there are 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles on any given day. This film is a searing indictment of the shameful way we treat both the mentally ill and the homeless. Jamie Foxx is riveting in his portrayal of a schizophrenic with a talent for music. His character reminded me of the one in that movie A Beautiful Mind. We see the hellish torment this poor man lives with every day. Its almost like he's trapped in a prison with no way out. Robert Downey Jr. was so funny in last year's Tropic Thunder, he proves here that he is good at doing drama as well. He is wonderful as a weary, sardonic reporter who in a way finds personal redemption when he decides to do a story on this poor homeless man with a genius for music. Foxx and Downey both have great chemistry and I wouldn't be surprised if they both get Oscar nods.