Based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayres, a schizophrenic who found himself homeless and busking for change in LA despite his prodigious musical ability, this is the latest offering from Atonement director Joe Wright. Forging a niche for himself as a portrayer of afflicted musical genius, Jamie Foxx (Ray) takes on the role of Ayres.
The story draws from an article by Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr) - an LA based journalist who attempts to help Nathaniel make his dream of playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall come true.
Judging by the buzz, this is the first piece of Oscar bait being dangled in front of Academy voters and us lesser viewers for next year’s ceremony. But, despite being a solid film, The Soloist is never remotely spectacular.
Full reviewHas moments of power and imagination, but the overworked style and heavy socially conscious bent exude an off-putting sense of self-importance, making for a picture that's more of a chore than a pleasure to sit through.
Full reviewThe film is imperfect, periodically if unsurprisingly sentimental, overly tidy and often very moving.
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The Soloist has all the elements of an uplifting drama, except for the uplift.
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By consistently and relentlessly overplaying everything, by settling for standard easy emotions when singular and heartfelt was called for, by pushing forward when they should have pulled back, director Joe Wright and screenwriter Susannah Grant have made the story mean less, not more. Instead of enhancing The Soloist's appeal, they have come close to eliminating it.
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Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx are on fire in the lead roles: They're both charismatic as hell without sacrificing any of the emotional honesty necessary for you to believe that these movie stars are a scruffy reporter and a mentally ill musician.
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Intelligent and uncompromising, with knock-out performances from Downey Jr. and Foxx .
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