Great performances, but it's nowhere near as deep as it likes to believe it is.

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2010)

The Soloist disappointed me in many ways. The performances are not a problem, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx are both absolutely tremendous, but the movie itself is good at best. When this 1st arrived on the scene, I think a lot of people expected awards and nominations for best actor for both, but in the end it really didn't live up to the high expectations it had for itself. The main problem with The Soloist for me was it felt too cold a lot of the time. As much of the pain I felt for Nathaniel|Foxx| I had a lot of trouble warming up to him, and despite the fact that Steve Lopez|Downey| changes a bit neat the end, I also questioned his motives many times. I was also a bit frustrated that I didn't get all the background info I wanted for Nathaniel. I wanted to learn more, I desired more, and I suppose I shouldn't gripe too much but I wanted more with that. This movie is good, but if it didn't have the performances of Downey Jr. and Foxx, I truly believe this would be above average at best.
Performances. Jamie Foxx is one of the best working actors in Hollywood today, and he can chalk up another brilliant performance here. His ticks that he had, the little nervous rambles, the way he looked it was just amazing. My only complaint was I felt a little cold by his character sometimes. Robert Downey Jr. is great here. His suave characteristics and his charisma are hard to match these days, and once again gave an engaging show.
Bottom line. The Soloist was a good, but underwhelming film in my opinion. It tries so hard to be Oscar worthy, that I think it tried too hard at times. It's well worth a viewing, but don't expect an Oscar worthy show.
7/10