Review of The Soloist (2009) by Tim R — 23 Jul 2011

Based on a true story, "The Soloist" takes a look at the life of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a former student of the Julliard School of Music, who developed schizophrenia and eventually became a homeless man. In 2005, he met Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez, who wrote a series of articles about his relationship with Ayers.

Naturally, it's sad to read about Ayers having such an incredible musical talent, but never being able to fully exploit it because of his mental illness. At the same time, it's heartwarming to know that Lopez came into Ayers' life and cared enough to help him try and find ways to sidestep his illness and make the most of his abilities.

With that in mind, I was hoping that "The Soloist" would be an exceptionally moving film that demonstrates those same feelings as it explores the life of Ayers and his relationship with Lopez. Instead, it turns out to be a mix of general boringness and discrete scenes that are meant to be poignant, but don't fit in well with the pacing and progression of the plot.

One day, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) sees Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) in Pershing Square playing a violin with only two strings. After becoming acquainted with each other, Lopez learns that Ayers attended Julliard back in the early 1970s, but never finished. In need of a story, Lopez writes an article about Ayers' background and the current life he's living.

An old woman who reads the column is deeply affected by the story. She gives her old cello to Lopez and asks that he give it to Ayers. Since the streets are not exactly the proper setting to play such an expensive instrument, Lopez decides to store the cello at the LAMP community, a facility that works to provide homes for mentally challenged individuals who live on the streets. If Ayers wants to play the cello, he will have to go there to do so. He's reluctant at first, but he later shows up at LAMP and plays the cello beautifully for the people. Lopez is pleased by this and from then on, he does everything he can to see that Ayers gets off the streets and makes something of his talent and his life.

Robert Downey Jr. gives a fine performance as a man who proves that he has a heart of gold by his compassionate desire to make a positive difference in Ayers' life. He really shines during the scenes where he is heartbroken to see how the homeless people are living, and discouraged when he thinks that he has failed at giving Ayers the support he needs. Jamie Foxx is excellent as a schizophrenic who has a difficult time communicating with others. He convincingly shows a wide range of emotions including fear, sadness, and agitation, as well as enchantment when he hears or plays classical music.

On the downside, the bland storytelling gets in the way. Lopez tries hard to lend Ayers a helping hand, but his schizophrenia interferes in one way or another, which frustrates Lopez. I sympathize with both men, but after awhile, this whole concept becomes recurrent and never goes very far beyond its basic level.

The movie tries to use cinematography and visual effects to give us an accurate sense of the profound impact that music has on Ayers. It takes him into a fantasy world where he feels as free as pigeons flying high above the ground. We actually get to see the pigeons, but they should have flown through more attractive scenery. For the purpose of illustrating a passionate state of mind, the Los Angeles River and freeways are too humdrum. Why not have the pigeons soar above the beach and the Pacific Ocean, or fly through a park with sunny skies, green grass, and a sparkling pond?

Even more disappointing is when Ayers watches an orchestra rehearsal at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and numerous colors flash across the screen. Yes, colors are pretty, just like the music he's listening to, but they don't highlight his deeper feelings of fascination evoked by the music. The colors are just flimsy special effects that are pleasing to the eye but spiritless in every other aspect.

The screenplay for "The Soloist" was penned by Susannah Grant, whose writing credits include "Erin Brockovich," "Ever After," and "Pocahontas." It's hard to tell exactly what she's trying to do with "The Soloist." Is she simply giving the audience an opportunity to see and hear what happened between Lopez and Ayers in real life? Does she want to draw our attention to the importance of helping other people? That's implied more than it is emphasized. Sure, Lopez is helping Ayers throughout the movie, but the negative effects of Ayers' illness and Lopez's struggles are more at the forefront, which overshadows the underlying theme. What about the power of a friendship? That's only exhibited in a couple of scenes.

It's also unclear what director Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice," "Atonement") wants in terms of tone. The only thing I can think of is that we're supposed to feel pity for Lopez and Ayers for the hardships they experience. Overall, I didn't feel much of anything until toward the end of the movie when there are some powerful scenes that show Ayers' anger and fear as well as Lopez's frustration turning into outrage. The acting performances are what make these scenes work. The trouble is that the scenes are strangely detached from one another by more low-key scenes. Wright manages to bring out some intense emotion, but he does it so inconsistently that I was confused more than I was...well, I'm not even sure.