The Soloist
Tags: romantic, violence, storytelling, flashback

Plot synopsis:
The film opens up in the early morning. A man is cycling by as a paper boy is driving around delivering newspapers. A newspaper hits a door and the main articles title is Life Has A Mind by Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.). Steve Lopez is cycling around town and goes in the opposite direction of a bunch of cyclists. Lopez gives an internal monologue chronicling a biking accident which occurred near a construction site. His bike hits a bump and he hits his head badly on the pavement. In the next scene hes in an ambulance being driven to a busy hospital. While in the emergency room, Lopez writes down his thoughts as if writing an article. He is given an MRI and after being cleared, takes a taxi home. He checks his messages (there are none), continues to narrate into a tape recorder.The next morning, he goes into work at the L.A. Times. He continues to talk to himself as he walks through the halls about how much he hates hospitals and health care under the governor. The Editor of the L.A. Times, Mary (Catherine Keener), walks down the cubicles past Steve as he is greeted by the people in the neighboring cubicles. Steve and Mary banter about an article Steve was supposed to write before his accident but he tells her that he wont write it as she goes off to her office.Steve is then sitting outside on the boardwalk drinking a soda. He hears a violin playing and starts to walk around the plaza until he finds the sources. He finds Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), playing a two string violin under a statue. Steve immediately realizes that Ayers is a schizophrenic and tries to walk away but Ayers follows him for a bit until Steve introduces himself. Ayers tells Steve that he once went to Julliard.Steve is in his office making a call to the Registrars office at Julliard when Mary sits down next to him. She tells him that the LA times stock situation is looking pretty dire before switching the conversation over to their son. Mary tells Steve to call him but Steve says that whenever he calls their son wont call him back. He sends her away stating that he is trying to find a story before deadline. The Registrars office tells Steve that there is no record of a Nathaniel Ayers ever attending Julliard and then hangs up on Steve. He says hes not taking the blood story but as he crosses violinist off his list of potential stories its clear hes out of options. He is then seen sitting in front of a young nurse preparing to draw blood from him. As part of his blood test, he goes to urinate in a cup. While hes peeing he drops the cup and slips when he gets a callback from Julliard. The Secretary tells Steve that she only checked the graduates but when she checked all students, she found that Nathaniel Ayers dropped out of Julliard during his second year.That night, Steve returns to where he met Nathaniel and narrates the content of the article Points West detailing how Nathaniel is missing while calling him shy. Steve drives back to his apartment and finds that raccoons ruined his lawn. His neighbor tells him that coyote urine will keep the raccoons away. Steve spends the night walking around his messy apartment while listening to music. The next morning, Steve is calling the head of the coyote urine business when he sees Nathaniel on the side of a busy intersection. He stops his car. Nathaniel turns away from him and continues to play his 2 string violin and doesnt speak. Steve waits patiently against the gate for Nathaniel to finish up. Nathaniel plays the same group of notes over and over until he cant do it anymore. Steve tells Nathaniel that he wants to write a piece about him and how he ended up on the street. Steve asks him about his family, but Nathaniel cant focus and give direct answers and continues to ramble, even asking if Steve is the pilot of a plane flying overhead at one point.Steve calls Nathaniels sister to learn more about him. A flashback shows a young Nathaniel walking down the street carrying a cello. He met with his music teacher and went on and on about how much he admired Beethovens work. He played the cello for his teacher and the teacher thought that he was an incredibly gifted student. Instead of playing sports, his sister said that all Nathaniel would do was play the Cello. Nathaniels mother told him that when she listened to him play, she heard the voice of God. Steve writes an article detailing what he learned from Nathaniels sister. After it is published, an old lady reads it and sends Steve her old cello with the request that he give it to Nathaniel with her prayers. As Steve is driving through the same busy intersection, he almost hits Nathaniel who is picking up litter from the middle of the street (almost being hit multiple times by other cars) and gets him to walk over to the side. Steve is concerned about Nathaniels safety and the cello and arranges for Nathaniel to keep the cello in the office of a homeless shelter LAMP (under the stipulation that Nathaniel also stay at the same shelter). Steve lets Nathaniel play the instrument on the street for a test run. Nathaniel plays for Steve and Steve is visibly moved by the piece. Steve drives away with the cello to take it to the shelter.The shelter is located in a bad neighborhood where a bunch of homeless people are gathered on the sidewalk outside the gate. He pulls up to the gate and asks to speak to someone named David. He and David put the cello in his office and Steve sticks around to wait for Nathaniel. He sees all the people with their problems and seems a bit troubled. He goes outside and continues to wait for Nathaniel. He mingles with several homeless people. He waits until nightfall and then goes home. He starts to put tie up a bag of coyote urine onto a tree when the bag explodes on him.The next morning Steve is seen interviewing an Atheist road-side cleanup worker on the side of the road. when he gets a phone call and hears Nathaniel playing the Cello. He goes back to the shelter and sees Nathaniel playing for the people gathered around.Another flashback shows Nathaniel in his first apartment and subsequent performances at Julliard. At one point he is surrounded by people and in the next he is in an empty auditorium. His musical performances grow more erratic and his paranoia starts to set in as a voice says they can hear your thoughts Nathaniel. He runs out of the auditorium and runs away because the voices tell him to. He hides in a closet and lets the voices overwhelm him. He calls his 'mother' from a payphone and shares the fact that he cant always tell what is going on in the world around him and that he cant differentiate whats real and whats not and drops the phone and the recording "please hang up and try your call again" is heard. It's obvious he wasn't actually talking to his mother but rather a dial tone.Steve asks David if he will diagnose Nathanials problem. David says that it would be pointless. Steve asks if theres a medication that can help Nathaniel but David tells him that the last thing he needs is another person telling him he needs medication. Steve goes to find Nathaniel but Nathaniel is gone. Steve goes out to his car and just sits there, observing the interactions of the people outside before going to find Nathaniel. He walks past some drug users and down the street before seeing the police around a dead body. As he looks down to see the person, he sees Nathaniel next to him. Nathaniel finds a place to sleep and starts cleaning the area a little with a broom before setting up his bed. He tells Steve that he will end up like Beethoven and lie down and die. Steve spends the night with Nathaniel on the street and they talk. Steve tells Nathaniel that it is no place for him to live, but Nathaniel is adamant that this is where he should be.The next morning Steve offers to bring Nathaniel to see an Orchestra perform Beethoven. Nathaniel watches the orchestra with Steve and as they perform, Nathaniel focuses only on the music and imagines each sound striking up a bright color.Later on, Steve and Mary are at a karaoke bar with their coworkers and Steve is telling her about Nathaniels enjoyment of the music and the grace Nathaniel gets listening to music. Steve finds Nathaniels love of music to be awe inspiring. He upsets Mary when he tells her the he has never loved anything like Nathaniel loves music. He tries to recover from that but Mary leaves and tells him the Mayor wants to talk to him. The Mayor announces that he intends to add 50 million dollars in aid to the citys homeless community.Nathaniel visits Steve at the office. Steve is busy and tells Nathaniel he cant perform in front of the building, so Nathaniel waits on the other side of the building. He calls Graham Clayton (Tom Hollander), a cellist, to rehabilitate Nathaniel. Steve convinces David to help find Nathaniel an apartment where Nathaniel can live and rehabilitation. Nathaniel doesnt want to live in an apartment. He frustrates Steve but then starts to question Steve about his family. Steve was once married to Mary, but they divorced. Their son, Tom is in college and wont talk to Steve. Steve tells Nathaniel that if he doesnt go to the apartment, he will be on his own.Another flashback details Nathaniels mental breakdown in his old apartment. He is slowly driven insane by the voices until he cries on the floor of the apartment. A week later, Steve and Nathaniel move Nathaniel into the place where he will live and practice. It is a small apartment with a bed and a bathroom. There is enough room for Nathaniel to be comfortable and practice, but Nathaniel is afraid to enter the room. Steve patiently tells Nathaniel that he can do it. Eventually, Nathaniel enters the room with his stuff. Nathaniel doesnt like the room because it doesnt have the natural sounds of the city and reminds him of the night he spent going insane.Steve introduces Graham and Nathaniel. Graham brings Nathaniel the sheet music for Bach to begin Nathaniels rehabilitation. Graham is impressed by Nathaniels skill but notices that it needs to be refined. Graham tells Nathaniel that God gave Nathaniel a gift and that Nathaniel shouldnt waste it. Nathaniel gets upset with Graham and declares that Steve is his God. Steve gets frustrated with Nathaniel for being so attached to him. Steve asks David to help Nathaniel with psychiatry and medication and tells David that if he puts Nathaniel into forced rehab for two weeks, that might be enough to get Nathaniel straightened out.Steve goes to an award show which honors Steves achievement in bringing Nathaniels story to focus. Nathaniel calls Steve and tells him all the things he needs. Steve hands the phone off to Mary, and she listens to all the things Nathaniel says. She gets drunk and tells Steve that hes good at avoiding responsibility. Steve calls her a drunk and tells her she needs someone to drive her home.Graham calls Steve the next day and tells Steve that Nathaniel should have a recital. At the recital Nathaniel wheels out his card and takes out his cello before sitting down in front of the audience. As Nathaniel starts to play, he begins to have a psychotic episode and hear the voices. He experiences a flashback to when his sister was taking care of him after he fled Julliard. She tries to give him a bowl of soup, but Nathaniel insists that it is poison and instead takes the spoon and starts force feeding her instead. Graham puts his hand on Nathaniel to bring him back to reality, but Nathaniel freaks out and the movie flashes between Nathaniel swinging a chair at Graham and the younger Nathaniel swinging the tray at his sister before he runs out the building. Steve picks up Nathaniels cello and looks for Nathaniel with his car. Again the movie flashes back to when Nathaniel freaked out on his sister and him running away with her following him in her car int he middle of winter and asking him where he is going and where he would sleep.As Steve searches for Nathaniel, he sees the police launching a large scale arrest of the homeless and drug users. Steve finds police guarding a bloody shirt and is told that a bunch of kids with baseball bats beat a man brutally. Steve, convinced it's Nathaniel, checks every hospital in the area looking for him. He spends all night looking for him. The next morning, Steve gets a call from David telling him that Nathaniel is at the shelter eating breakfast and that he spent the night in the apartment. Steve visits Nathaniel at his apartment and returns his cello. Steve gives Nathaniel a miniature Beethoven and asks him if he did a good job looking out for him. Jennifer, Nathaniels sister, is ready to take over as Nathaniels caretaker. Steve leaves him the forms and tells him to read them before he signs them.Nathanial reads the forms and throws them around the room when he realizes that its about his schizophrenic state of mind. Nathaniel gets violent with Steve, pushing and slapping him, and tells him that if he sees him again hell gut him like a fish. Steve runs out of the apartment the minute he gets free and leaves Nathaniel to the voices.A little while later, Steve is taking shots in a bar. He visits Mary at her house. They reminisce about when they moved into the house with Tom. Steve comes to grip with his failures as a father and a husband. He apologizes to Mary and tells her that he thought he was helping someone with a gift who had lost their way. He tells her about what happened with Nathaniel and how he doesnt know how to fix it. He tells her that he officially resigns from everything since he cant get it right. Mary tells him that Steve would never have been able to cure Nathaniel just like he would never prevent a earthquake and that all Steve could do was be his friend.Jennifer flies into L.A. to see her brother. Steve drives her to the shelter and she goes in to see him. The shelter is not as crowded as it was before the cops arrested people. Jennifer sees Nathaniel sitting and slowly approaches him. They sit together for a while as Steve watches from the car. Nathaniel remembers that Jennifer is his sister and reaches out his hand to her and she takes it. Steve sits outside dangling his car keys until the pair come out. Nathaniel looks down at Steve and apologizes for threatening Steve. Steve tells Nathaniel that its ok. Mr. Ayers, Im honored to be your friend.Steve begins his narrative epilogue as Mary, Steve, Jennifer and Nathaniel watch an orchestra perform. A year ago, he met Nathaniel and thought that he could help him. His mental state and well being havent changed but he no longer lives on the street. Psychiatrists tell Steve that his friendship alone gives balance to chemical misfire in his brain, but he cant attest to it. Steve tells himself that Nathaniels friendship and courage has made him a better person. They watch the orchestra perform in silence.Credits roll and the audience reads the following: Mr. Ayers still sleeps inside and is a member of LAMP. He continues to play the cello, as well as violin, bass, piano, guitar, trumpet, French horn, drums and harmonica. Mr. Lopez continues to write his column for the L.A. Times. He is learning to play the guitar. There are 90,000 homeless people on the streets of Greater Los Angelos.

Review: Perhaps lower expectations propped up my perceptions of it, however, it still stands as time well spent.The film is based on a true story involving a top columnist at the LA Times, Steve Lopez, played with grace by Robert Downey Jr., who becomes invested in one of his more colourful subjects, Nathaniel Ayers, an accomplished musician overcome by mental illness, now living on the streets of LA portrayed by Jamie Foxx, who rambles his way to a convincing performance.The film is a satisfying adult drama that doesn't lose it's direction.
Making a film about a tale like this restores my belief in Hollywood beyond the mindless bunk it churns out year after year.Downey Jr and Foxx play a newspaper columnist and homeless man who come together in a most unusual way.
A caring Los Angeles reporter named Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) tries to help a homeless man named Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx).Ayers suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
There is a quiet scene where Downey's Steve Lopez confesses to his ex-wife Mary (wonderful Catherine Keener) about Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), "He's got a gift" But Steve is at the breaking point in his efforts in helping the disturbed former child protégée.
The subject matter does scream "Oscar Bait", with Robert Downey Jr. playing a newspaper columnist who writes about a schizophrenic genius musician (Jamie Foxx) who is homeless on the streets of L.A. We all remember Shine.
Steve Lopez is a Los Angeles Times columnist in need of a decent story.One day he encounters,by chance, Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless schizophrenic street musician with an abundance of talent.Lopez writes a series of articles about Nathaniel and tries to help him, to improve his conditions of living and gives him a chance to showcase his talent however Nathaniel's disease has created demons that he can't ignore and Lopez sees most of his efforts frustrated...To be honest I was expecting a way better movie, I saw the trailer months ago and it got me excited, the movie seemed to have all the ingredients to be a success,plus two amazing actors, Robert Downey Jr as Lopez and Jammie Foxx as Nathaniel.However, I felt disappointed.Lopez struggle to reach to Nathaniel and his constant efforts to help him were interesting to watch but that is pretty much everything that happens in the movie.In the end almost everything looks the same as in the beginning and not much has happened.Sure, Lopez had a small yet positive impact on Nathaniel's life and he,himself, might have gained a little something from that relationship too but I was expecting a wider range of events so to speak...I'm not saying that he should have been cured by the end of the film, as much as Hollywood loves happy endings that would be unrealistic but I did expect something to happen...some kind of development that would make this story worth telling.It never came.
Made watchable through it's rich performances (especially Robert Downey Jr.) and it's beautiful music, but the film feels like it's trying to hard to cover too much ground while at the same time beating you over the head with humanitarian elements that really have no place or room.A friendship is formed between a divorced writer and a homeless, schizophrenic musician when they have a chance meeting.
I felt like they were teasing me with a good story and actors but instead decided to give me pointless intersections throughout (don't even get me started on Nathaniel Ayers' "flashbacks" and "thoughts").The film would have been better if they had concentrated on the point of view of Robert Downey, Jr.'s character and not try to dive into Ayers' psyche.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist desperate for a good story, when he one day runs into Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a homeless man with obviously tremendous musical talent.
There is a point in the movie, for example, where Ayers utters the line, "If I ever see you again I'll cut you open and gut you like a fish." I appreciate the portrayal of paralyzing mental confusion, but I'm going to go ahead and suggest the majority of the audience is going to see that as a good time to turn your life- saving mission over to professionals who have some idea of what they're dealing with.
This is a movie that wants, tries desperately, to touch on some very serious issues, but unfortunately causes itself to become undone as a movie.The story revolves around an LA Times columnist named Steve Lopez who stumbles across n eccentric and mentally ill homeless musician, Nathaniel, who is a musical prodigy and a Julliard dropout.
At first obsessed with the story, Steve inevitably becomes involved in Nathaniel's personal life while dealing with his own issues with his ex-wife and his job.That's all you really need to know, but even if I wanted to try to explain it further, that would prove rather difficult because the film itself doesn't even really know what it's about- is it about finding the kindness to be someone's friend, the homeless crisis in LA, dealing with people with schizophrenia, pursuing your dreams, coming to terms with not living your dreams, or even more basic, is it about Nathaniel or is it about Steve?
The movie doesn't know as it bombards you with as much information as you could possibly need to know about any of that, whether its via flashback sequences about Nathaniel's past, moments where "the voices" invade Nathaniel's head and freak him out, overly dramatic scenes involving policemen arresting homeless people, an excessive amount of really irrelevant time in Steve's office and about a head injury of his, and multiple musical montage scenes to Beethoven, one involving helicopter shots and pigeons, and another involving an uninterrupted three minutes of color splashing across the screen rhythmically.With that said, it's very well-acted.
As I walked in and sat in a seat at my nearby movie theater waiting to watch The Soloist, I was hoping to get what the trailers seemed promise: a strong, character-driven story led by two talented actors ultimately amounting to a solid film.
Robert Downey Jr. plays a writer for the Los Angeles Times (Steve Lopez) who comes across a homeless violin/ex-cello player (Nathaniel Ayers) with Jamie Foxx filling in the character's shoes.
Just unfortunately the screenplay by Susannah Grant (a talented dramatic writer responsible for "Erin Brockovich" and "In her Shoes") feels less like "Shine" and more like blah.Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who while eating lunch notices a homeless man with nothing but a shopping cart full of crap and a violin with only two strings.
If you want to see a movie about a relatively normal guy and a mentally warped guy watch Rainman; if you want to watch good Downey Jr movies watch his output last year; for Foxx, 2004's output (especially Collateral); for classical music put to dizzying visual heights, Fantasia (which, I should add, Wright desperately tries to emulate in the scene where Lopez and Ayers see the recital and all of those colors flash through his mind ending with the pretentious line: "Beethoven is in the room").On top of Wright crowding in FAR too much into making it a feat of the visual, even when it's not needed to express something about the story or the characters or mood (and an inconsistent one at that as it moves jarringly between flights of fancy like the shot careening across the sky with birds flying around to, yes, a documentary interlude on the homeless), Foxx goes way too over-the-top in his performance.
Together they are the best movie acting tandem I've seen in a long time.The film is brilliantly made, with just a hint of what Mr. Ayers has gone through trying to sort out reality and imagination and his triumph over the tragedy by finding a way to keep playing his music even if he was unable to continue his formal career.
They where very believable in there roles.Steve Lopez(Robert Downey Jr) a down on his luck reporter, who can't seem to get life all in order anymore, that all changes when he meets Nathaniel Ayers(Jamie Foxx) a homeless man who is a great musician.
Odd fact-based story of one-time musical prodigy-now homeless man Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) and his chance encounter turned friendship with LA Times writer Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.).
The story is pretty tough to watch at times but director Joe Wright (Atonement) does a good job of adding enough Hollywood to prevent it from spinning too far off into mental illness and politics.RDJ and Mr. Foxx are both excellent in their presentation of challenging characters.
It's faintly ridiculous to see such talent as Jamie Foxx paired with such shallow madness as Robert Downey Jr.Overall, the film becomes an unwittingly parallel to the man it set out to portray -- like Nathaniel Anthony Ayers himself, it started out with remarkable potential and deteriorated into an aimless entanglement of its former merits.
Arrestingly-filmed yet oddly distanced dramatization of LA Times columnist Steve Lopez's (Robert Downey, Jr) series of articles regarding his befriending and increased sponsoring of a failed classical musician, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), now begging for change near several of the city's musical landmarks and during his investigations becoming forced to explore his own societal and interpersonal biases & fears.
In 2005, the Los Angeles Times published a series of articles by reporter Steve Lopez profiling a classical music virtuoso he found living - and playing his two-string violin - on the streets of Skid Row. After spending many hours with his subject, Lopez learned that Nathaniel Ayers' promising career as a musician was cut tragically short in the early 1970s when he fell victim to schizophrenia - he began hearing voices that crowded out his ability to think clearly and function in the real world - while still a student at Julliard.
Inspired both by the human interest potential of the story, as well as by a sincere desire to extend a helping hand to a fellow human being in need, Lopez touched an emotional chord in his readers, shining a spotlight on the very real problems of homelessness and mental illness, while, at the same time, turning Ayres into something of a household name.With selected passages from the articles serving as voice-over narration, "The Soloist," adapted by Susannah Grant, features Robert Downey Jr. as the well-meaning writer who, in the midst of his personal crusade, comes to question just how much good one human being can do for another when the object of those intentions is either already too far gone to be successfully reached or simply unwilling to accept any proffer of assistance from a caring stranger.
Movie Review: "The Soloist" (2009)Director Joe Wright continues to amaze in actor direction after his Academy-nominated effort for "Atonement" (2007) as "The Soloist" wanted to be a "Best Picture" contender against tight competition as "Slumdog Millionaire" directed by Danny Boyle and "Frost/Nixon" directed by Ron Howard, when only the tender outlined relationship between Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. can convince me toward another Hollywood fairy-tale-story of a better world to come.
The Soloist tells the true story of L.A. Times reporter Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) discovering Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) a cello prodigy whose mental illness has pushed him into homelessness.
This really doesn't add much to the story past giving a reason that Lopez throws himself so much into trying to help Nathaniel.The problems ultimately boil down to underwhelming direction from Joe Wright, which is disappointing given his excellent work on "Atonement" and "Pride and Prejudice." All the right pieces were there to make The Soloist a powerful and moving film, but it can't quite come together as a single piece..
But in reaching out, he experiences the hurt and pain that often comes from dealing with the mentally ill, in this case, schizophrenia.The film asks a few questions: can a person who refuses medication be forced to take it; does every homeless person want to be in a home; and why in such a rich country do we have so many homeless (90,000 in Los Angeles as of 2009).Lopez works to understand the talented Nathaniel, and Nathaniel begins to see him as a true friend.
The Soloist is a brutal movie with a poorly written storyline and a very promising cast that sadly failed to deliver.This films story and its powerful leads seemed like an easily enjoyable two hours for me,but sadly it was actually quite the opposite.It wanted to be an uplifting drama that inspired people grateful for what they have and also feel sympathy for these characters,I think it failed on both of those levels,it tries to be uplifting and inspiring much too early on in the movie,and struggles even more throughout.Robert Downey Jrs performance is not terrible,although he was certainly the movies highlight,but I was thoroughly disappointed by Jamie Foxx.He is easily one of the most talented actors in Hollywood at the moment,but fails to show any of his skills in this movie,to play a character like this Foxx needed to do his research in order to play a truly convincing man who is struggling with his mental health,but it is made very clear that Foxx didn't do this,he said his lines,and went home with his pay cheque,very disappointed by him.All in all,the Soloist is a disappointing drama with characters that I simply didn't care about and I would not recommend it to anyone.
It's really not a bad film at all, led by two central performances from Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Granted, the film moves at a snail-like pace at times, but this melodrama brings to light some important issues such as mental disorders and homelessness.
Based on a true story, Joe Wright's film is about a LA Times reporter named Steve Lopez who has a chance encounter with a homeless schizophrenic named Nathaniel Avery, who is incredibly gifted with the cello.
The Soloist is the real life story of Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Lopez and his friendship with the homeless, mentally unstable yet exceptionally talented musician Mr. Nathaniel Ayers.
Steve Lopez covers the story of how a Jilliard dropout with such exceptional music gifts ended out on the streets and while covering the story, Lopez, played by Robert Downey Jr., develops a special bond with the musician, Nathaniel, played by Jamie Foxx.The movie shows the tragic, disease-ridden and crime –afflicted world of Los Angeles streets.
Based on a true story the film focuses on the meeting between Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx) and Steve Lopez (Downey).
"The Soloist" is the reel adaptation of the real life story of LA Times journalist Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr) And Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx).Directed by Joe Wright ("Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement"), there was huge expectations from this movie.
I tend to see with distrust any movie which includes a Hollywood star interpreting a mentally handicapped character.The simple fact that a famous actor (who is a man in most of the cases) wants to portray a role which so far away from his reality is something impossible to assimilate in my case, because in most of the cases the movies end up looking like crude parodies...or an offensive joke to the people who suffer from similar affections in the real life.I think the only time I liked a performance like that was with Leonardo DiCaprio in the excellent What's Eating Gilbert Grape...but thinking it well, I am doing some trap with that exception, because back in those days (early-90s), DiCaprio was an almost unknown actor who only had a few TV series and a "B" movie (Critters 3) on his filmography.Even when Robert De Niro interpreted a mentally handicapped character on the film Awakenings (which was 10 years before he lost all kind of interest in his career), I did not believe in his performance for a second.Because of all that, I went to see The Soloist without too much enthusiasm.However, I must admit that The Soloist resulted to be better than I expected, although I did not find it to be very satisfactory.First of all, let's see the positive points.Robert Downey Jr. brings a credible and honest performance.Jamie Foxx has the dangerous role of the mentally handicapped man, and I like to admit he made a good work on it, because his deep involvement with his character shows conviction and realism.And we also have solid performances from a group of talented character actors, composed by Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Stephen Root and the great Rachael Harris.And finally, I appreciated the fact that this movie wanted to do something different to the lachrymose drama it could have been.However, at the same time, I felt the story to be cold, impersonal and a bit tiring, because of the lack of focus from the screenplay and Joe Wright's diffuse direction.This movie has various pointless moments, and Wright lost the narrative flow a little bit, at the same time he made some very doubtful decisions, like for example moving the camera constantly and orchestrating complicated scenic choreographs in order to capture precise moments between the actors.What I wanna say is that his direction feels completely out of place in the context of this movie, because the narrative required a more intimate and sober work.I think The Soloist deserves a slight recommendation, because it is not lacking of some interesting elements, and mainly, because of the performances, although the experience did not leave me very satisfied..
The soloist is a movie based on an article written by journalist Steve Lopez about Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a gifted musical prodigy that lives on the streets of Los Angeles.
"The Soloist" is based on a true story of a Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Lopez who befriends homeless musician Nathaniel Ayers in the city of angels.