The Soloist (2009)

hyped garbage

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

With an interesting subject matter, two talented actors starring, Beethoven (one of my favourite composers) featuring heavily in the soundtrack and an impressive trailer, 'The Soloist' had enough to make me want to see it.Joe Wright is somewhat hit and miss for me. 'Atonement' and 'Hanna' especially of his films are great, also liked 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Darkest Hour'. 'Anna Karenina' didn't do it for me though and 'Pan' was a big misfire. 'The Soloist's' mixed reception admittedly created some uncertainty on my part, but the interest points mentioned in the first paragraph were enough to check it out anyway. Seeing it, 'The Soloist' is somewhere in the middle of Wright's films in ranking.Not one of his best, not one of his worst either. Better than reputed, but considering the potential a better film was in there somewhere that didn't quite materialise. 'The Soloist's' biggest strength is the two leads. Robert Downey Jnr. especially is riveting in a performance full of vigour and heart. Jamie Foxx had the more challenging role, and while not as subtle as Downey his acting is incredibly emotionally committed and touching. Catherine Keener also fares well. It's a good looking film too, polished, gritty and elegant. The music is magnificent as one would hope. 'The Soloist' does have its fair share of powerful, poignant and uplifting moments, the chemistry between the two leads strikes all the right notes and the scenes and portrayal of the homeless have a lot of power. The portrayal of schizophrenia, a very complex condition that has been prone to a lot of misconceptions and misinterpretations, is not too inaccurate.However, Wright's direction is fairly unimaginative and sometimes chaotic. While there is nothing amateurish about his images (apart from some over-eager/clever editing) not all of them serve much of a purpose. The script does tend to ramble, even in Foxx's dialogue which is at times slightly annoying, and be too ham-fisted.Similarly, the story is somewhat too thin and tries to cover too many themes and ideas without exploring some of them enough. Consequently, some of the film gets unfocused and over-crowded with a tendency to get melodramatic and be erratically paced. The rest of the acting barely registers, which is a shame because the two leads are so good.Overall, not a bad film but could have been more. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Interesting based on fact film directed by dyslexic British filmmaker Joe Wright. Wright seems like an odd choice for this film considering his success with high caliber romantic and literary movies like "Pride and Prejudice" '05 ~ "Atonement" 07 ~ and "Anna Karenina" '012. Perhaps, the at times uneven style of "The Soloist" harks back to Wright's earlier days as a Video clip director but might also be partly due to Susannah Grant's screenplay. Somewhere between the two, this production has a couple of seemingly disjointed scenes that to some, could seem misplaced. The story is a powerful one, with Jammie Foxx perfectly cast playing the mentally afflicted and volatile Cello prodigy Nathaniel Ayers. Ayers, while living on the mean streets of Los Angeles playing broken down instruments, attracts the interest of L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez - Robert Downey Jr delivers one of his more sincere performances as Lopez. Foxx, who has been known for having some difficulty working with cast members on other projects, works hard at this difficult role and impresses.Italian composer Dario Marianelli is at home with his work on several Beethoven and Bach classics and Irish director of photography Seamus McGarvey (The Hours '02) together with his director delivers a mix of pop art and dramatic images.This is thoughtful film making that offers many inspirational moments - it's strength lies in it's fact based and tormented subject. Recommended viewing and definitely one that has much to offer a wider audience - as well as its insight into the care of the mentally unstable and the impact they bring to family and friends.

A compelling, fact-based story and a couple of powerhouse starring performances ignite The Soloist, a 2009 drama which attempts to put a human face on some hot-button issues, but, at times, seems to sacrifice the reality of the situations presented here for dramatic effect.The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Lopez, a writer for the LA Times, who happens upon a homeless man playing the violin and after a tentative encounter, learns that the man is named Nathaniel Ayers and spent 2 years studying the cello at Julliard, but did not graduate. Lopez finds himself drawn to the man, not to mention deciding that his story would make great material for his paper, but struggles to connect with the man, whose obvious mental health issues make it very difficult for Lopez to help the man, despite the fact that the series of articles he has written about Nathaniel are garnering attention and acclaim for him.The film is an emotionally charged look at Lopez' tireless obsession with making a personal connection with this gifted musician whose life went astray at some point and his frustration with the fact that he is powerless to help Nathaniel in the way that he needs the most help...help with his mental issues, that from what we've been shown, could be anything from autism to schizophrenia. The problem is that like a lot of people with serious mental issues, they are unaware that they have mental health issues and as long as they are not a danger to themselves or others, they cannot be forced into psychiatric treatment or medication that could help them and this is an issue that this story completely nails. Lopez' desire to help Nathaniel is the core of this story and the fact that he is powerless in securing this kind of help for the man, it doesn't matter that he actually finds the man a place to live or even gets his talent as a musician recognized, as long as his mental issues aren't properly addressed, he can never be a whole person again, something Lopez has difficulty accepting.Flashback sequences provide a peek into Nathaniel's past and we do see the beginning of his mental decay during an orchestra rehearsal where Nathaniel starts to hear voices in his head, but we are provided no further insight into the man's mental decay, which I found kind of aggravating.There is also a scene where a worn out Lopez appears to be giving up on Nathaniel and Nathaniel's response is to start asking Lopez personal questions about his own life, which just rang totally false to me...most mentally challenged people are in their own world and not prone to reaching out to others. I also had a problem with the idea of arranging for Nathan to actually give a recital. I had a hard time believing that Nathaniel would agree to such a thing but his reaction to being onstage legitimized that.What does ring true though is Jamie Foxx's brilliant performance as Nathaniel, which totally nails the character's delicate mental sensibilities...the way he constantly talks and you think he's not listening at all, but he does catch things here and there and the way he remembers everything he learned about Lopez during their first meeting when they meet for the second time, an ability which made me think there might be some facet of autism involved in Nathaniel's condition. He's in his own world but certain facts do register and lodge in his memory banks without ever exiting his personal mental orbit of which he is a virtual prisoner.Robert Downey Jr. matches Foxx note for note with a vivid performance that is so human that you almost don't see him acting. The performance is also a wonderful acting study in reaction and playing off the actions of another actor. Watch him when he takes the cello out of Nathaniel's arms that he received as an anonymous gift for Nathaniel or when Nathaniel gets physical with him at the end of the film. Robert Downey Jr. doesn't make a false move here and it is easy to overlook his work in the midst of Foxx's flash. I have a feeling that a lot of the direct communication between Lopez and Nathaniel was enhanced through Susannah Grant's screenplay for heightened drama rather than realism. Communicating with the mental ill, especially those with schizophrenia or autism, is a lot more difficult than depicted here. Bouquets to Catherine Keener and Lisa Gay Hamilton for bringing substance to the thankless roles of Lopez' editor/ex-wife and Nathaniel's sister, respectively. This film is a sobering indictment on the plight of the homeless and the mentally ill that even though slightly-over dramatized, pushes a lot of hot buttons and will definitely gnaw at your emotions.

Jamie Foxx is Oscar worthy in this, simply amazing, was he nominated? The movie itself is good/okay. It follows Steve Lopez, a down on his luck (and hurting) Los Angeles Times journalist who, while looking for a new article to write about for the paper befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician. Foxx plays the schizophrenic former violin prodigy and balances well with Downey.Some moments did feel long winded as we (I guess) enter Nathaniel Ayers' mind and listen to the voices and music with him. I was never much impressed with the music here. Downey is...Downey. Good and kinda cocky as per.The scenes with all the homeless people at the shelter was like something from another world and very impressive. I also appreciated that we are allowed to see the violent side of schizophrenia, Steve Lopez didn't just "fix" Ayers for a Hollywood HEA. 06/13