The Soloist

Journalist Steve Lopez stumbles upon homeless musician Nathaniel Ayers, who also suffers from a form of schizophrenia (and was also a former Julliard student to boot). Lopez, sensing a story, takes Ayers under his wing, only to become the one friend Ayers has.

Sounds like a horrible sappy story, right? It could've been. Hell, it still is, in a way; at points, THE SOLOIST falls significantly flat (yes, the pun is intended). But at other points it soars. True, a lot of this belongs to director Joe Wright, who turns this film into a minor epic, thanks in large part to the Beethoven soundtrack (and there are a few scenes that will steal your breath away, almost-perfect combinations of music and imagery). But the true heart of the movie lies in the acting. Jaime Foxx should have been the star here; he's nuanced and physical, a real presence on the screen. But it's Robert Downey Jr. who walks away with the lead-actor credit. This is Downey's film: he gets to display all of his trademark bits (his wit, his facial expressions, his emotional range) and even goes a couple steps farther. It's not his greatest performance, but it's up there, enough to steal the film from (arguably) the most interesting character.

THE SOLOIST isn't for everybody. It's slow, plodding in spots, and the plot is (let's admit it) uninspired, even if it is based on a true story. Nor does it really have much to say about the homeless, though it tries (this attempt at a social message leads to a flat ending, though it's counter-balanced by the fact that Wright used a lot of real homeless people as extras). Still, despite all its flaws, THE SOLOIST is a definite Oscar-contender, thanks to its two main actors. If you want to see an actor's piece, with some excellent music and a few jaw-dropping scenes, then look no further.

I have been waiting for this movie to be released for a while now. Now that I watched it, it was worth the wait. I love anything Robert Downey Jr, does, he is a great actor and can seem funny, yet series at the same time. He does that in this movie. He gives an Oscar candidate performance here, but so did Jamiee Foxx. I thought he was great in the role, they went a little to far with the flashbacks, but other than that Jamiee Foxx's character was someone you felt sorry for, and wanted to be happy. It had a great script, but I felt the director could of done so much more with it. Great movie, but had more potential, which is saying something.