Based on the book by journalist Steve Lopez, The Soloist recounts how Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) came upon schizo musicophiliac Nathan Ayers Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Lopez was a down-on-his-luck writer who was desperate to find a story. The film takes place in 2005 when layoffs are running rampant through the journalism industry (sound familiar?), which means fewer reporters are getting less time to cover more stories. L.A. Times hot shot Lopez needs a good story, and one day stumbles upon a homeless man playing a two string violin who claims he went to Julliard. Bam, he's got himself a story, pending it all turns out to be true and not just the ramblings of some crazed homeless man.
The Soloist has some really good things going for it; it has a tremendous cast anchored by RDJ and Foxx, and an extremely talented up and coming director, Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice). But when watching the film, something seems off. You see the characters, you feel their pain, the actors are firing on all cylinders, but you feel somewhat distanced and unaffected. Is it the fault of the director? Possibly. But it could also be the fault of the writer.
Maybe Susannah Grant (Charlotte's Web, Erin Brokovich, In Her Shoes) wasn't the right choice for the film. Sure, she has written drama before, but I think maybe the balance of drama, social criticism, and general sappiness might have done better in another writer's hands. But it's not all on her shoulders; whatever happened here, Joe Wright is also to blame. His visual style is getting to be pretty noticeable and much appreciated, but at times the film feels heavy handed and manipulative...bordering on preachy. I also found the flashbacks to be somewhat awkward and clunky. It starts with Ayers' sister recounting a story to Lopez, which turns into a voice over narration of a cello instructor talking about Ayers's innate ability, but then we get periodic flash backs that just seem tacked on and not fully played out, i.e. Ayers's breakdown.
But that's the bad, and with RDJ you have to have at least some good don't you? Well, yes...yes, you do. RDJ turns out a solid and affecting performance, and, despite its obvious Oscar bait potential, Jamie Foxx takes a character Sean Penn would salivate to play and nails it. Foxx balances the crazy with the lucid, and delivers another nuanced performance to prove that his Ray Oscar was well earned.
Wright also manages to take the viewer inside the mind of a crazy person and see how insane the rest of the world can seem. From his sound design to this visual cues, Wright has added another thing to his resume of shit he can do well. One scene in particular I found to be truly impressive was when Lopez takes Ayers to a symphony rehearsal and the screen goes black with bursts of color for almost the entire duration of the song. That moment juxtaposed with the acting before and after can't help you leave feeling somewhat affected.
So, The Soloist isn't a great movie by any means, but it's certainly a decent one. It comments on society, the economy, family, relationships, and also a tale of friendship between two men from opposite walks of life. You could find worse to watch this weekend, and with strong performances from Downey Jr. and Foxx, it's well worth a sit down.
Review by: Greg MacLennan
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