Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

By: Gregory Brand, Jr.
Entertainment Editor
SOTG Magazine

The Soloist
Rating: 3 out of 5

Though "The Soloist" at first reads as the typical music biopic of a down-on-his-luck musician, it is so much more. While the work is an adaptation of a worked penned by the real-life Steve Lopez, the origin is from a very different place than the typical desk of a biographer.

Working as a reporter and columnist for years, Lopez simply ran into a man on the street and found not only a source or inspiration for a story but a friend and subject for a whole book.

The film focuses its attention on the life and activities of noted columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) and homeless classically trained musician, Nathanial Ayers (Jamie Foxx) and the relationship they form after Lopez writes about Ayers.

While walking down the street, Lopez is captured by the sound of a violin playing a riff of Beethoven with only two stings.

Upon him gaining a closer look at the man playing the beautiful music he learns that there is something more going on. The man playing is blind, African American, in his 50s and somewhat mentally disturbed.

The disturbance Ayers suffers from is schizophrenia and while it holds him in a semi-coherent state, it does not prevent the talent inherent him from coming out.

Instantly, Lopez is interested in Ayers and writes his first of many columns about the blind man with an enormous talent.

When he first finds Ayers, Lopez attempts to ask straightforward reporter-like questions to no avail. It takes a little more effort and dialogue to tunnel down to the truth.

In his interest he learns much about his subject and as a result changes the life of his friend and teaches the a world that is too quick to judge those less fortunate a lesson that may never forget.

Lopez uncovers that Ayers was once a Julliard trained Cellist but his unstable mental state prevented his functioning in that environment. He also later discovers that Ayers has a sister (played by Lisa Gay Hamilton) who has been searching for him.

The film that follows shows the viewer, with comical and unnerving events, the story of man at first seeking a story but later finding an unconventional friend.

While the film's trailer makes it seem like a sappy music version of the Cuba Gooding Jr. nightmare, Radio, this film shows how life isn’t always black and white.

By taking the viewer on a ride through a story surrounding loss and struggle, the ultimate finish is both satisfying but also laced in reality.

The reality is reflected in the performances put on screen as well. Foxx and Downey do amazing jobs as the leads here. Foxx is interesting and believable as the somewhat crazy virtuoso and Downey is also sharp and interesting as the writer that inspired the film.

The film's only weakness is in the way the film tells this story. In a word the movie is LONG.

Though the film has an enormous story too tell, the length of the film makes the subject matter a chore to take in all at once.

Bottom Line: "The Soloist" is an interesting movie experience despite the condition of being a tad too long.

Labels: movies, reviews