The Soloist is a huge step above many of the DVD releases we’ve seen over the last few months. The film is based on the true story of Steve Lopez, reporter for the LA Times who, while out looking for a story, encounters the homeless cellist, Nathaniel Ayers. The movie tracks their relationship and, in the process, gives the viewer not only Nathaniel’s story, but also the story of the sadly large homeless population in L.A. Jamie Foxx offers up a wonderful portrayal of Ayers. Robert Downey Jr. is quite credible as the reporter who gets quickly sucked into Ayers’ life – as a newspaper story, and as a measure of who Lopez is as a person and as a friend. Jamie Foxx showed us his chops as Ray Charles in Ray, and in The Soloist he brings to life both the depth and breadth of a very complex character, and a realistic picture of mental illness. This is an interesting story, a character-driven story, and one that is both heartful and humble. It will appeal to a wide range of viewers, for an equally wide range of reasons. It’s directed by Joe Wright, who most recently gave us Atonement, a film I also liked much more than I anticipated. The screenplay was written by Susannah Grant, who did a really skilled job with Erin Brockovich, and with Catch and Release -well, maybe not so much. There’s some interesting camerawork, and the costume design for Foxx’ Ayers is eye candy.
The Special Features included a well above-average “Making Of” in which I discovered that Jamie Foxx had been classically trained in piano. Who knew? There is also an informational feature on homelessness, which hones awareness on the extent of the problem. With or without the Special Features, see The Soloist. – [DVD]
Drama/Biography/Music
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 8/4/09
[...] THE SOLOIST [...]
[...] THE SOLOIST [...]
[...] THE SOLOIST [...]