The Soloist

What a disapointment. This movie was like a chicken with its head cut off running all over the place. The fact that they had some big-names in this and just wasted them is pathetic. Foxx's character talked about how he felt more con\mfortable playying his music and performing on the streets or in a subway station... well the movie itself belongs there... in a garbage can.

Loses track of what it's talking about early on, and it's talking about way too much without saying anything relevant. None of it's ideas are tied together, it can't seem to decide whether it's about the beauty of music, the reprehensible amount of homeless in the streets, or the somewhat out of place spiritual elements (which I actually enjoyed). Foxx and Downey Jr. are both great (although Foxx is a bit miscast, he still makes a good job of it) but they can't save this. It is ok, that is all.

Foxx's well-wrought, expertly executed portrait of mental illness might also be the poster-child for what's wrong with the rest of the movie: everything feels so "correct" and "proficient" that the characters aren't given enough air to breathe, resulting in a dreary, cerebral mood for material that probably would have succeeded with a more broadly emotional treatment. As it is, it attempts poignancy that just isn't there, despite fine performances all round (though Keener is all but wasted).

Looking at the talent on screen, I expected something more but they just blabber their way to the end credits. The film also fails at raising any kind of relevant questions about schizophrenia, to the point where it becomes laughable (especially Foxx's acting). A great example of a time-filler: not bad (this review makes it look that way though), but nothing great either, although it desperately tries to be with its pseudo-artistic sensibility and melodramatic delivery. Fuck you trailer!

with a brilliant story actors, it could have been a brilliant film. instead, it was mediocre because the direction and screenplay were close to awful. none of the scenes advanced plot or character in any way. Lastly, the sound quality of this film was the worst i have ever heard. I think the film's biggest problem was that it talked about everything, but never showed anything. The film tried too hard to "look like reality", and lost all the charm and magic that makes people want to watch movies.

Modern setting, modern story, classical execution. Wright continues to impress me as a smart, visually beautiful director and his range is only improving. His films have flaws, to be sure, but they're minor and forgivable. Downey Jr. gets a fair bit of praise for this, as he should, but despite the Oscar-baity role Foxx undertakes, I enjoyed his performance just as much. Very well done.

A strange case of a movie that is just too well produced for it's own good. Joe Wright overreaches with his artful direction, and the pacing, the structure, the attention to detail only calls to the fore a run-of-the-mill examination of the relationship between madness and genius. Iron man is fine and Foxx's acting all but spells out loud 'I Can haz Oscarz Plz?', but essentially you leave the film with 'Hmm...' when it should have left you with 'Awww!'.

just weak

Based on the true story of what happened when a gifted yet schizophrenic homeless man and a journalist on the lookout for a story-- collide. Reveals the realities of skid row and how many homeless there now are in L.A. county (around 80,000) The homeless man (Ayers) has a Beethoven obsession and plays the cello so well it breaks your heart to hear it. Worth a watch.

i so didnt care for the nathaniel story, but the pictures of LA and the racoons were amazing :D

The Soloist is a movie that is unable to work like it wants to because of the way that it chose to script its plot. The narrative is unsatisfactory and doesn't really result in a whole lot of change in anyone. It doesn't allow for much of an emotional response from an audience, and in fact made me question exactly what it wanted me to feel, except to question the motives of one Steve Lopez, who now has articles, a book, and a movie based around this story.

Seemed hackneyed.

While the story is moving, the speed the storyline is moved is somewhat haphazard and sometimes disorienting. The two main actor, however, did the best of their ability on portraying their character's own struggles realistically.

Though it features strong performances by its lead players, a lack of narrative focus prevents The Soloist from hitting its mark.

Wright's follow-up to his gorgeous period films is a very precise and heartfelt ode to the driving power of music, and even though that sounds like something you would read in a press junket, Wright never oversentimentalizes the action although he does take some visual licenses that some may spit at. Foxx has the showy role and even though he's good, Downey Jr. gets all the palms here with a fantastic performance filled with reality and warmth. A fine film overall, absolutely worth of your time.

Good performances from both leads, not much to say really, enjoyable enough to be worth seeing.

Disappointing.

'The Soloist' doesn't much engage at all, and luckily to the film's credit, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx have solid performances to hold it together. Director Joe Wright doesn't know how to remain focused on his two characters. Just when a scene earns a dramatic point or two, he lets the camera leap off into an aerial city shot. While these characters' relationship may have been misrepresented, the actors are good enough to keep you involved in their performances, which are very good.

The Soloist attempts to be heartfelt and succeeds in some places. Most of the heavy lifting comes from the magnificent performances from the two leads. For the most part, though, it preoccupies itself too much with the visuals and dramatic heft. It manages to feel emotionally manipulative and lose narrative cohesion in the process.

great movie, hollywood ought to make more of these.

Took 5 mins of fiddling about to get the sound bearable, not cool. The tracking, crane, overhead and synaesthesia bits were far too gimmicky. The beats were all too familiar and the last 25 cheap, against-character dramatics. With the talent and shocking Skid Row stuff available it's frustratingly meh.

A movie that deals with schizophrenia shouldn't suffer from the same disease itself. Story arcs are as follows; writing the story, homeless schizophrenic musician and the amount of homeless on the street. Never do the arcs fully connect and it swaps between them without any finesse. Saved by the two leads Downey Jr. and Foxx who carry the film.

As a musician, I would have really appreciated this movie being a lot more interesting.

This film starts off really strong, Robert Downey Jr's character seems to lose his great personality halfway through the film and the rest of the movie suffers for it.

20100220 - Interesting story, good performance from Foxx, though the character seems to be more exaggerated at the beginning. Well portrayed schizophrenia (but didn't like the musical "visualisation").

66.000

so underrated

An odd-couple buddy movie with nothing much to recommend it except Jamie Foxx's tricky and technically proficient performance as the soloist. The film is more than a little exploitative, and in all sorts of ways.

Lopez and Ayers' story has its beauty and tenderness, and Wright's melodrama approach is too clumsy and not very convincing: Soloist is almost saved by Downey Jr. and Foxx, but it is ultimately a real life drama that didn't need to be carry out with such uneasiness and total lack of subtlety.

It is technically and objectively excellent. The performances, the music, the cinematography, and the editing are all magnificent. The melodrama swelters a bit too much, though, and really it seems like a bit of Oscar-bait.

zencilerde cello calabilir

Like interesting yet oh so fake. Soloist dude is all best dressed cleanest mentally ill homeless dude EVER. So take an interesting idea and message drama, & make it unbelievable, oops. RDJ's character is better.

Fantasia. Walt Disney Hall. Donald Duck.

Touching. Well acted. Simplistic and Sanitized. But a valid attempt.

Very poor filming.

"An emotionally tone deaf and, typical of the director, gimmick-laden and aggressively polished adaptation." - Ryan Stewart

Good acting, beautiful music, very interesting. But a little too "intense"/serious for me on regular occasions.

Jamie Foxx gives a great performance in this movie. Unfortunately the story isn't very interesting. The music is good in the movie but the film drags on. After all is said and down I would have to say that this film is a minor letdown.

An artistic failure from conception, it's British director Joe 'Steadicam' Wright's torrent of self-righteousness equal to the frequently referenced Hurricane Katrina.

Foxx's performance doesn't impress me, and Downey Jr. does the same role he's done a million times before. Wright inserts a few bold cinematographical choices into the film, sometimes succeeding, sometimes not. Can you say 'Oscar bait'?

It's a handsomely mounted spectacle with moments of bravura acting that nonetheless feels labored and dull.

Some problems in editing don't do too much harm to what is otherwise a moving, excellently acted drama.

I went in with a lot of expectation for this movie and came out completely disappointed. With such a good star cast I expected much more out of this movie. Considering the movie to be based on a true story I believe it could have been really made better than what it is now.

Touching drama of a ill person about his love for music. Cello soundrack is awesome!

60.750

Worth a watch

psyche movie, not good.

A good performance and a touching, true to life story.

Partly disturbing story with little redeeming value and a confusing theme and message.

A decent true film about a schizophrenic musician and a reporter from L.A. Times and how they bond and making the musician's dream come true.

The film has its heart in the right place, and everyone involved clearly endeavors to treat the story with special care, lest it devolve into cynical heart-tugging. All that restraint leaves it shockingly flat and colorless. The characters never come to life, feeling instead like randomly scattered ideas scooped up and shoved haphazardly into shells. The overwhelming sense is that Wright has been stumped by all the material before him, unable to pull it together into a cohesive vision.

Downey's "cute and sarcastic" dialogue detracted from the sentiment that should have accompanied this film. However, the greatest flaw was that I struggled to believe much of this film, even though it is a true story. It just seemed fake. I did enjoy many of the tracking aerial shots....beautifully done.

I'm thinking that a person who is not very musically inclined might find this film a bit slow and not so 'Hollywoodish'. Being a violinist, the music made the film for me.