Review of The Soloist (2009) by Arun H — 11 Apr 2011

All involved bring their 'A' game to the beautifully shot The Soloist. What results, however, is certainly a 'C' effort. The film tries to weave serious strains of homelessness, mental illness, journalistic integrity, and family estrangement into one coherent melody. It is a compelling story, but the story's all-encompassing ambition begins to feel drawn-out and muddled like one looooong downbeat. It has been adapted from the articles of Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez. Once the story pulls focus from his fractured life amid covering this career-making story and tries painting a separate portrait of his subject's past and schizophrenia, however, disharmony erupts.

In this PG-13-rated drama based on a true story, a down-on-his-luck columnist (Downey) discovers a former classical music prodigy (Foxx) living on the streets of Los Angeles.

After tackling the very English Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice and the very English Ian McEwan modern classic Atonement, acclaimed director Joe Wright decided to unfurl the masts on something decidedly set in a foreign, well, tongue. Set in the very un-British, steely, sun-soaked, Snake Oil environs in and around the City of Angels, The Soloist captures Los Angeles with inspired breathtaking aesthetics. And in regards to realizing this particular LA tale, Downey and Foxx give perfectly played performances as well. As the title suggests, however, the film should have learned to focus its concentration more and not trying to be all things to all filmgoers--morality tale, bio-pic, pseudo-musical, journalism drama, and sometime comedy.

Bottom Line: So low you shouldn't go.