Oscar bait much?

Rating: 6/10 (7 August 2009)

The Soloist is a decent movie, but it has one huge flaw. It tries way too much to win an Oscar. Someone should tell the director that heartstrings cannot be pulled by force.
There are two main reasons I wanted to check out this film, called Jamie and Robert. The two dudes give good performances, but I wouldn't expect nothing less from these guys. The problem was the narrative and the way it was presented.
There can only be so many classical music montages before they start to get old fast. Insert some doves in the mix, and you are fast treading into the corn territory. Additionally, I was interested in the contemporary versions of the characters, and when the movie suddenly started to throw lame flashbacks of the young Nathaniel in my face, I was underwhelmed.
All in all, as dramas go, there are many worse movies out there. However, I can't seem to shake the feeling of lost potential. This could have been a great piece of cinema with some minor changes. Heck, it probably still is for many people, just not me.
And hey, I recognized Esa-Pekka Salonen as the conductor of the orchestra scenes. Finland represent!