The Soloist- A Review

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:33:55 GMT

By Zack Lawrence

The Soloist is a film detailing the life of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a schizophrenic, musical genius who lives on the street. The Soloist seems to be a movie that tries to teach tolerance and understanding when it comes to the mentally disabled and the homeless. Steve Lopez(Robert Downey Jr.) is 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, a homeless man who is a great musician. Steve becomes intrigued by Nathaniel, and does a back ground check on him. But the more time Steve spends with Nathaniel, it becomes clear that he is not all there. Foxx portrays, to near perfection, the anguish and innocence of a disabling mental illness. His acting is haunting and real, and what may oft be misinterpreted as aloofness on Foxx's part is in fact a realistic portrayal of schizophrenics. Downey Jr. does a great job playing a conflicted newspaper writer. The Soloist gives ample opportunity for two actors with serious chops to exercise their gifts more than it gives us any insight into Ayers' illness or Lopez's talent. Additionally, it reveals the considerable homeless population of LA as worthy of attention. While even this meticulously presented story can only hope to capture the grimness of homelessness, Atonement director Joe Wright shows again how adept he can be at filming groups of the suffering unfortunate. The Soloist most likely won't make you cry buckets; it's an emotional film, but it’s made out of little moments instead of a giant, heart-wrenching climax. It's a film about friendship, and as such, you may feel the need to reach out and touch somebody more than anything. The Keystone Connection has been viewed times since 18-OCT-2008.