The Soloist Movie Review

The true story of a man driven to the streets by his mind and the inability to control it. Jamie Foxx takes on yet another great talent who is tortured and ruined by his demons, this one by the name of Nathaniel Ayers. Sufficiently less famous than his previous character. A man you may know by the name of Ray Charles. Robert Downey Jr. plays real life reporter, Steve Lopez, who happened upon Nathaniel one day in a park in Los Angeles. Mr. Lopez makes his living writing for the LA Times with a great focus on characters living in that city. Shining a light on some of the unique and interesting people who wonder the streets and populate the city. Mr. Lopez proceeds to write a number of articles about Mr. Ayers gaining them both more and more popularity. This becomes a major challenge to a man with an undiagnosed mental illness, but is assumed to be schizophrenia.

While getting to know Nathaniel, Steve develops a strong bond with him, one that is constantly tested by Nathaniel and his many fears and quirks. That’s the story. There is no Hollywood ending where they are all happy and Nathaniel has no more voices in his head. Steve doesn’t go on to become the Mayor and solve the problem of homelessness in LA. You could describe it as the first movie in perhaps a trilogy. They two characters meet, become friends, struggle through things, but the meat of the story and the ending are still to come in the sequels. But there will be no sequels, as these two men are in fact still living their lives and living their story. This is my guess to why some people have been turned off by it, and few seem to be showing up to watch it.

Joe Wright really turns LA on its back and shows you the underbelly where these people live and attempt to survive. There is no offered solution, and there is no real sign of hope for them. Only an acknowledgment of their existence. Something I’m sure many people avoid thinking about and many more avoid seeing regularly if ever. Fortunately for Nathaniel Ayers, he has a great aptitude for musical instruments combined with an unmeasurable love for classical music. While these voices, these people, and these situations haunt him, he seems to be at peace and able to focus the most while playing Beethoven, his favorite of the old composers. This gift made him a friend and got him out. Few others will get this opportunity…thats just the way of the world and this film does not apologize for it.

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