The Soloist (2009)
Director - Joe Wright
Starring - Jamie Foxx & Robert Downey Jr.
3.5 stars
This is another one of those films that enjoyed a healthy reputation, captivating trailer and solid recipe for some serious success. 'The Soloist' was interestingly planned to have a November 2008 release but was held back due to Paramount already filling their quota of film releases per year. There was also speculation that it held back its release because it didn't want to compete against the juggernauts 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Benjamin Button' at the 2008 Oscars. It's fair to say that this was an inspired decision, because compared to giants of '08, 'The Soloist' wouldn't have stood a chance.
Based around the true story of Nathaniel Ayres Jr, (played by Jamie Foxx), a mentally ill genius musician who had once attended one of America's most illustrious musical colleges, Julliard, and reporter Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr) who discovers the homeless Ayers on the streets playing a violin with two strings and endeavours to get his story told. For Ayres, the inclusion of Lopez into his life opens a whole new world of opportunity that he never knew existed but it's debatable as to whether this is what's going to be best for him. With Lopez, he opens his heart for a gentleman he sees’s as needing help. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to initially understand what Ayres really wants.
The film itself appeared to begin really slowly before I soon realised that this was all there was too it. This slow beginning still kept me hanging on for the big action to take place but it was soon evident that this steady journey was in fact the catalyst behind the story. Rather than being blessed with numerous climatic moments, the basis around 'The Soloist' is simply the journey, lifestyle and understanding of characters and what they're about. In most drama's, an issue is raised and a resolution is desperately required. For this film, it can almost be seen as a biographical story that has a constant issue (Ayers' debilitating mental state and his struggle - if you would call it that - to fit into society) that is not resolved or left alone but merely explored. The result is a slow, almost meticulous ride through the relationship between Ayers and Lopez. Don't get me wrong, it's still an entertaining voyage that has moments of pain, beauty and sheer realism but I daresay would fail to excite the panel of Academy Award judges.
I hate to be painstakingly negative right off the bat because I did enjoy this film but it would be remiss of me not to mention a couple more issues I had with it. Flashbacks and missing information made the whole movie experience somewhat frustrating for me. The first flashback into Ayers childhood didn't come for a while - which is immediately disrupting for the flow - and even when it was there it didn't provide enough information. These flashbacks, that were intended to highlight the path Ayers had taken to get to the point he is at today, still left the viewer with many unanswered questions and took away from the real issue of friendship.
Jamie Foxx captured the complexity of Nathaniel Ayres Jr's character quite successfully. Ayers is exactly that - complex. Foxx ensures that he is a man with a clear mental illness and instability but still has his wits about him. His desire to keep outdoors and play his music, not leave his scattered street belongings and his misguided theories on God help ensure to the audience that he does in fact have some social differences, but apart from these more visual difficulties, Ayers is quite comprehendible and understanding on the inside. Foxx does a very applaud able job at conveying this through his delivery and mannerisms and making sure that he is not seen as a homeless loony but a man who is more just misunderstood.
So as a whole I was a little disappointed with the final result because I foolishly expected so much more. In reality, the story itself lacked the ammunition to fire on all cylinders and basing a movie on the issue of friendship and companionship without climax or real resolution was never going to make it an unforgettable blockbuster. With that said, two of Hollywood's best, Foxx and Downey Jr, work together brilliantly to portray a great journey and an overall enjoyable film. Definitely worth a look, even though it has limited release, but I wouldn't lose sleep over missing this one in the cinema as a DVD viewing wouldn't hamper much of the experience. I hate to use such a lacklustre cliché' but my initial summary of 'The Soloist' after exiting the cinema was "good but not great". Still worth a look.
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