TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Softwing
Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
PlatinumRead
Just so...so bad
grantss
Steve Lopez is a journalist for the LA Times. He is on the lookout for new story ideas when he stumbles across Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless man with extraordinary musical talents. Lopez is eager to improve Ayers's situation, while writing a story on him, but the biggest problem may be Ayers himself.Good but not great. Emotional journey, but somehow something is lacking. I just didn't feel as engaged as I normally would for a story like this. Maybe it was that it seemed to drift in the middle section or that it ultimately didn't have a point, or, at least, it's point was wasn't strongly put.Can't fault the acting - Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx and Catherine Keener are excellent.
blanche-2
"The Soloist" from 2009 is based on a true story and stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. An LA Times columnist, Steve Lopez (Downey), is in need of a story in 2005, shortly after smashing his face up in a bicycle accident. One day he discovers Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), a homeless man who plays the violin. Steve decides he would make a good story.As he writes his articles, Lopez learns more about Ayers. He has a sister who loves him (LisaGay Hamilton) and is concerned about him; his original instrument was the cello. The stories bring all kinds of attention to the problem of homelessness, to Lopez himself, and to the gifted Ayers, and a cello is actually donated to him. He loves to play his music in the tunnels, doesn't like to be inside, and idolizes Beethoven. In flashbacks, we see bits of his life which appear to be a loving mother and no father, and we see a truck on fire, which was part of his trauma.Nathaniel's plight does a lot for Steve Lopez, and though he is someone who shies away from commitment, he wants to help him. But in reaching out, he experiences the hurt and pain that often comes from dealing with the mentally ill, in this case, schizophrenia.The film asks a few questions: can a person who refuses medication be forced to take it; does every homeless person want to be in a home; and why in such a rich country do we have so many homeless (90,000 in Los Angeles as of 2009).Lopez works to understand the talented Nathaniel, and Nathaniel begins to see him as a true friend. Both are needy people and not particularly trusting. But true freedom comes in facing one's demons.Wonderful film about courage and understanding.
KissEnglishPasto
.......................................................from Pasto,Colombia...Via: L.A. CA., CALI, COLOMBIA and ORLANDO, FLTrue Stories are my favorite genre. The SOLOIST was a real eye-opener and gave me a real "Ah-Ha" moment! Typically, despite being true stories, (or a good facsimile) the genre is rather formulaic, when you come right down to it. Person A has problem X, (Some seemingly insurmountable disease or injury or condition or adversity or a confluence of 2 or more of the above!) and through inspirational effort and persistence, defying all odds, Person A manages to overcome problem X and we ALL feel uplifted in the end! The SOLOIST is anything but typical. It tells an extremely interesting and unusual story which refuses to conform to the formulaic conventions to which we have, unfortunately, become so complacently accustomed. There are three factors which contribute to creating false expectations for SOLOIST.First, the title itself is somewhat misleading. Watch the movie, and you'll see for yourself! Second, the trailer is edited so as to create expectations geared to coincide more with the genre's formulaic audience comfort zone. The very thing the movie so painstakingly avoids! And third, the very same set of entrenched genre clichés we have already mentioned, in other words, the baggage viewers bring with them into the theater! ****Possible Very MINOR SPOILER Ahead!****Putting all of this aside, SOLOIST derives its tremendous energy and appeal from the undeniable on-screen chemistry of Robert Downey, Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Their interaction is a joy to watch. The story does provide the standard genre buzz-words…Uplifting, Inspirational and Motivational…but for reasons that would be virtually impossible to predict before experiencing the film itself! Oh, and the music is sublime! Classical music Lovers are in for a veritable treat! There are elements of SOLOIST that will make some viewers squirm. Third world neighborhoods, right here, in downtown Los Angeles, for example. Scenes from SOLOIST have been ricocheting around my brain since yesterday!9.5*STARS*....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!
SnoopyStyle
It's 2005. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is looking for his next subject to write about. He discovers mentally ill Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) playing his broken violin. He befriends the homeless musician and begins to write about him as well as the homeless of LA. Nathaniel showed some skills as a child and concentrated on music and nothing else. He got as far as Juilliard but dropped out in his second year.There are two good performances from two great actors. It's too bad there isn't something more compelling or that the story isn't told better. I wonder if Nathaniel's life story told straight up wouldn't be better. This is based on the real newspaper columns. Maybe there is too much Steve Lopez. The movie is more about him than Nathaniel. There is way too much about coyote urine which is marginally amusing at best. The story just needs to find that compelling flow.The best part of the movie are the LA skid row scenes. The mass of mentally disturbed is quite shocking and seems like an unreal creation. That's something different at least.
