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''Beauty is art, music is beauty.''
A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Julliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.
Jamie Foxx: Nathaniel Ayers
2009 has been a year of many true stories, book adaptations and documentaries. The Soloist offers a true to life story, terrific performances and a stab at the real America and the countless homeless whom reside throughout the country.
The story revolves around Steve Lopez, an L.A. Journalist played charismatically by Robert Downey Jr, and Jamie Foxx plays homeless musician Nathaniel Ayers. Both performances result in Oscar Worthy performances, and even a possible nomination or award attention for Joe Wright, whom previously worked on the acclaimed Atonement and Pride & Prejudice.
Joe Wright seems to have a skill for bringing sensationally talented actors together and bringing the best out of them. Catherine Keener shines as Mary Weston, and a nice inclusion of, Tom Hollander as Graham Claydon, a Christian Musician whom helps Steve help Nathaniel with his music.
The Soloist strong points really are the performances by it's two leads and the problem it addresses of the homeless and the mental illnesses they endure. Nathaniel's schizophrenia isn't always present in his life we discover, he is intelligent and extremely gifted musically on the cello and other string instruments. As we learn from flashbacks we see how he reached his present predicament and also his crazy ramblings which proceed to be confusing as well as informative to his frame of mind.
Robert Downey Jr as Steve the Journalist who ends up trying to help Nathaniel out of his poor way of life, shines as a good man caught up on two sides, trying to discover a new story for his paper, and creating a friendship and feeling an obligation to that friendship.
''I don't give a smooth fart whether or not we go.''
The Soloist is an emotional journey, one scene really makes us feel the raw emotion of both parties, whom are touched and swayed by the power of the music. It's energy present in the player and the listener. Another scene shows us vibrant colours representing the depth of feeling Nathaniel is experiencing from a passionate composition from an orchestra.
There is humour also present in The Soloist, the part where they run with Nathaniel's possessions in a trolley, or the falling out with Tom Hollander's 'christian' musician causes a few wry smiles. As does the Robert Downey Jr scenes involving either his own piss or strangely raccoon pee pee.
Overall, The Soloist gives us an interesting portrait of a moral, that sometimes you cannot help someone, because sometimes they do not want help. The best help being a self motivated mental state of enlightenment, a sense that some cures come from the heart, your own realizations, your own natural healing. Sometimes genius is dizzying madness, a tragic reminder The Soloist brings to our awareness, and for me, it makes me want to change not just myself but the world as well.
''I've never loved anything the way he loves music.''
8/10
