Review: The Soloist

If you ask me, the best movies are those that make you sit back and ponder. Great cinema is that which has a vicarious effect on the audience, leading to a personal perspective about situations that you have not experienced yourself.

I imagine it is a difficult art to make a movie that compels the audience to relive someone else’s experience. Such film-making has been mastered by directors like Scorsese, Lynch, the Coen brothers and Almodovar; and while they may not always taste commercial success, they usually remain immortalised in the audience’s mind.

With The Soloist, director Joe Wright (Atonement) has attempted this tough act and almost manages to pull it off. The film is based on the book by the same name, which in turn is based on the true events in the life of an LA Times columnist named Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey Jr.), who is searching for his next big story.

A chance meeting with Ayers gives Lopez the story he is seeking

He finds the story in a chance meeting with the homeless Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx) and his two-stringed violin. After some research, Lopez discovers that Ayers is actually a brilliant musician with an unsound mind – a former cello prodigy who has taken to the streets after being abandoned by his family due to his illness.

Nathaniel Ayers: A young and talented soloist

Lopez goes on to write a series of articles on Ayers, while personally helping him out away from the spotlight. The true friendship that develops between the two has its share of ups and downs like any relationship; but ultimately – and predictably – it transforms both their lives.

A friendship that transforms both their lives

But to be fair, The Soloist is not about the story line, and instead is an exercise in bringing a few issues to the light as well as letting two fine actors spar on screen.

The movie provides an interesting take on schizophrenia, dispelling the popular perception that equals it with multiple personality disorder, as done in films like Primal Fear. Schizophrenia is about a person who suffers from distortions of reality, and director Wright has portrayed it very well indeed.

A nice touch is the depiction of intermittent moments from Ayers’ past, which goes deeper into the affliction and adds a flavour to the general atmosphere of the movie.

The other issue that The Soloist seeks to highlight is the plight of ‘transient people’ (legalese for homeless) in the US. Given the strong familial bonds in India, it’s very difficult to imagine a person from a well-to-do family that ends up homeless. From a desi perspective, it’s a good look into the self-centred nature of the American societal system.

As for the acting, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx does a decent job as the musically gifted Ayers. But the passion that should accompany an intense love for music seems somewhat superficial; which is odd when you consider that Foxx is a musician himself and won an Academy Award for playing Ray Charles!

Robert Downey Jr., once again, proves his acting prowess as a successful journalist with a flawed personal life. The Iron Man gets a heart as the movie unfolds, as his own life is enriched in the process of helping Ayers.

Downey once again demonstrates his acting prowess

But just as the movie soars, it all comes crashing down with an abrupt climax and you won’t be able to shake off the feeling that you got cheated out of some closure. The Soloist promises a lot but fails to deliver by the time the credits start rolling. I just hope that Wright isn’t keeping an open slate for a sequel (based on the pursuits of the real Ayers and Lopez) but rather kept it as it is for an artistic touch. Not that it worked…

So should you watch the movie? Well, there are three types of people who I would recommend it to: those interested in learning more about schizophrenia; those looking for a break from pot boilers and slick action flicks; and fans of Robert Downey Jr.

Rating: 6.5/10