Movie Review: "The Soloist"

Seen on: April 24, 2009

The players: Director: Joe Wright, Writer: Susannah Grant, Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Nelsan Ellis, Michael Bunin, Catherine Keener

Facts of interest: Based on the book by Steve Lopez.

The plot: Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez gets a new perspective on life when he meets a homeless musician who once attended Julliard.

Our thoughts: Joe Wright, the director who brought us the beautiful “Pride & Prejudice” and the intriguing “Atonement,” returns to the big screen with “The Soloist,” a soft but moving drama that boasts an unforgettable story, gorgeous photography, a stellar cast and a marvelous soundtrack. Sounds pretty good, right?

It sure does, and while “The Soloist” is not a perfect film and by far not Wright’s best effort, it’s still a challenging and thought-provoking experience I found incredibly easy to enjoy to the fullest extent. I admit the movie didn’t entirely live up to my expectations, but I still left the theater feeling great, and that’s exactly what I love about this art.

In yet another fabulous performance, Robert Downey Jr. stars as Steve Lopez, a troubled Los Angeles Times columnist whose solitary life takes a drastic turn when he runs into Nathaniel Ayres (Jamie Foxx), a homeless musician whose bright future at Julliard got knocked down by a sudden mental illness.

Intrigued by Nathaniel’s talent and his obvious passion for classical music (Beethoven, especially), Lopez decides to write a new column about the lost prodigy, and before he knows it, he finds himself in the middle of a special friendship that could help him get his own life back on the right track.

“The Soloist” is about a lot of things, but above all, it’s about the power of friendship and the struggle for redemption. Lopez is clearly a character who’s got a bunch of mess to clean up in his life, and his sudden connection with Nathaniel certainly helps him realize what all it takes to find his inner peace.

On the other hand, Lopez doesn’t really know how far he can go with Nathaniel. He’s clearly over-determined and wants to help him as much as he can, but as he starts to realize throughout the film, there is only so much he can or even should do in his role as Nathaniel’s friend.

“The Soloist” spends considerable time examining how both central characters deal with their drastically different situations, and watching both men making new discoveries is an undeniable pleasure paired beautifully with plenty of emotions and a solid dose of humorous moments.

Wright’s film didn’t touch me as deeply as his previous two masterpieces, but I still walked out of “The Soloist” caring for both characters. It’s a film that takes its subject matter seriously, and it treats it with a whole lot of respect and care. In other words, Susannah Grant’s script is quite sophisticated.

Wright knows his work and always delivers a masterful direction, and “The Soloist” is a feast for the eye. Sure, he sometimes overdoes it a bit, but the film boasts a gorgeous look backed by first-class cinematography and top-notch editing. And let’s not forget the collection of musical grandeur that comfortably boosts the film’s dramatic effect (in a positive way).

Freaky quote: “Come on, you can do it." – Robert Downey Jr.

The final word: Downey Jr. and Foxx make quite the solid onscreen team in “The Soloist,” and both their roles are certainly credible, even if a tad overdramatized at times. All in all, “The Soloist” is a warm-hearted tune you shouldn’t miss. No, it may not be Oscar material, but it’s certainly worth a trip to the theater. Now go and surrender to the magic of Beethoven and co.

Article by Franck Tabouring

Comments

[baba]

Yay :) Love this movie!!

[Nomad]

i've heard the Soloist does a great job raising awareness about those who are homeless who might also happen to be mentally unstable; I'm still thinking about waiting for the rental