Plot LA journalist Steve Lopez (Downey Jr.) is in search of a story. And, thanks to a cycling accident, he finds one in colourful tramp Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), who has a secret history as a musical prodigy. Over time, though, Lopez becomes more than
a story; he becomes a mission.
Review Joe Wright’s The Soloist arrives belated and laden with baggage. Originally slated to hit last Oscar season, Wright’s follow-up to his glorious Atonement fell afoul of studio politics and was shunted into an April US release slot, where it fared poorly. But anyone thinking this indicates the turkey-whiff of a stinker will be proven pleasantly wrong.
Having excelled in the Britflick comfort zone of period drama, Wright decamps to modern Los Angeles. Not that that means this is also an attempt to go commercial. In fact, it’s the opposite — a clue to its status as a studio-political victim. It’s a film about vagrancy, mental illness, music, journalism, friendship and LA itself. Admirably, but to its own detriment, The Soloist asks intelligent questions, but is honest enough to admit that there are no answers. Like its protagonist, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), it finds a great story: that of Nathaniel (Jamie Foxx), the Juilliard drop-out cello prodigy who is now a psychedelically attired, trolley-trundling vagrant, scratching at violins in the acoustic sanctuary of a busy Angelino underpass. It has a story, but it can’t find a solution.
It’s not really giving anything away to say you shouldn’t expect a punch-the-air ending; neither should you hope for a welter of cathartic sobs. Furthermore, the two leads have taken standard showy roles — dogged-but-flawed journalist and schizophrenic hobo/musical prodigy respectively — and underpinned both with weight and warmth.
Wright himself further develops as a visualist. A few scenes might smack of obvious symbolism, but in his hands they somehow (forgive the pun) hit the right notes: one, for example, represents Nathaniel’s blissful perception of Beethoven by splashing colourful lights over a black screen. Elsewhere, Wright manages to lift even the most mundane moments. One great sequence involves nothing more than the arrival of a gift at Steve’s desk. Here we take the gift’s-eye-view as it whirls and weaves through the office, punchlining with a great reaction shot from Downey Jr.. This recalls virtuoso tweaks from the likes of Fincher, Zemeckis and Spielberg.
Still, as much as he should be praised for mastering such smart but non-crowdpleasing material, surely it’s now time for a cast-iron blockbuster?
Verdict Intelligent and uncompromising, with knock-out performances from Downey Jr. and Foxx .
I wanted to see this so I rented it out and watched it last night. It has some powerful pefomances from Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx but that's it really. It seemed long, very grim and depressing to see on a Saturday night. Don't hope for a happy, feel good ending because it ain't here. So it's not brilliant but worth it to see the pefomances only. ... Read More
L: hcfd
Despite great perfomances by the leads, it fell flat. Fails to say anything about mental illness or print journalism, save a few shoehorned references to "staff going". Was crying out for some dark humour in parts - surely Nelsan Ellis could have been better used - which made it slightly sterile. Probably not a good sign that in a key scene I found myself thinking "wasn't Tom Hardy great in Stuart: A Life Backwards?"
sp;
Yes a muddled film but with a few lines and images that h... Read More
...I loved this film. Yes the film had a slow pace with the weight sentiment throughout the film but with the excellent performances from always superb Downey and Foxx you forget it. Wright has shown the other side of LA, with a hard and brutal hand at times but it has opened my eyes. Not to everybody’s taste but overall a good film, but all I want to know is when oh when will Downey get his overdue Oscar! ... Read More
I agree moviemaniac, Robert Downey Jr. gives another amazing performance, I felt that Fox's was a bit detached I couldn't really feel for his character either. Downey, well he has that magical charisma and presence that most actors just don't have. I thought it was cool that they actually used some of the people who live on Skid Row to get a feel for some real characters. I expected the movie to be more moving than it was. ... Read More
Having sat on the shelf for a few months , The Soloist comes with sufficiently lowered expectations after initially being an awards contender. The Soloist is, a beautiful film. It's wonderfully shot, and it has proven actors who soon found their way as bankable movie stars in the lead roles. It just doesn't work as well as it should have.
Director Wright can't seem to make up his mind with how to deal with Ayers illness, so we're given flashbacks that don't really serve a purpose. It feels ... Read More
Having sat on the shelf for a few months , The Soloist comes with sufficiently lowered expectations after initially being an awards contender. The Soloist is, a beautiful film. It's wonderfully shot, and it has proven actors who soon found their way as bankable movie stars in the lead roles. It just doesn't work as well as it should have.
Director Wright can't seem to make up his mind with how to deal with Ayers illness, so we're given flashbacks that don't really serve a purpose. It feels ... Read More
Two fantastic actors that I think were underused in this one really. It didn't go into enough about Fox's character's schizophrenia. There's an interesting article how RDJR saw some people he met in the LA County Jail on Skid Row. It does kind of fall flat though, too bad too. Still like others have mentioned it is definitely Oscar bait. 2 1/2 out of 5. ... Read More
I think meandering is the word I'd use to describe The Soloist. I'm a patient man and this sort of fare is usually right up my street, but this film's first hour almost pushed me out the door. I can deal with slow as long as it's moving somewhere but for 60-70 minutes this progressed /i] nowhere, instead opting to bombard the audience with yet another musical interlude set against lingering shots of the cityscape and CGI wildlife. I think symbolism with all the subetly of a sledgehammer to the ... Read More
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Tragic
