The Soloist

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Stephen Root
Directed by: Joe Wright
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A newspaper columnist (Robert Downey, Jr.) meets a troubled homeless man (Jamie Foxx) who appears to have brilliant musical talent. The two become unlikely friends and make a much larger impact than they ever imagined on each others' lives.

Review:

Tim: The Soloist is a movie that does just enough to be considered good, and just enough right to make you long for what could have been. This is a fairly good movie but also has some holes and flaws. None of these sink the movie, but prevent it from achieving the greatness that it sought. This is definitely a movie that set out to be one of those inspirational, memorable movies that tugs at the heartstrings while making you laugh. It gets close, but not quite.

One of the big features of this film is the cast. Robert Downey, Jr. really is a fantastic actor. He has such charisma and such a screen presence, it is nearly impossible not to like him. He is just so enjoyable in this role. He has a few opportunities to be truly dramatic, but has some great writing backing him up, and he delivers the humorous lines perfectly. Downey brings such high energy to the role, he really makes the movie. Jamie Foxx is less spectacular. I understand why he took this role- it was the chance to play a larger-than-life, troubled man. This is the type of role actors love because it enables them to stretch their acting muscles and hopefully give a memorable performance. Foxx's problem is that he is a bit too over-the-top. He's mostly good in the role, but he just seems so smug and self aware that he is a playing a character "beneath" him. I just couldn't shake the thought that Foxx was exceptionally pleased with himself for his performance. It took me out of the movie. Still, Foxx does give a good effort, it's just not as powerful as he imagines. Catherine Keener adds in a good supporting role, but I wish she had more to do.

I do have a few issues with this film. I know it is not necessary its own fault, but The Soloist just feels so much like Resurrecting the Champ. In both movies, a white newspaper writer befriends a struggling but talented African-American, changing both their lives in unexpected ways. While watching this movie, I unfortunately felt like I'd seen it before. The easy comparison to the previous movie hurts this one (even though it may actually be better in the end). I also thought the film suffered from a few scenes that bizarrely strayed from the main message. What was the point of the coyote urine scene? Why did Catherine Keener react so embarrassingly at the award dinner?These scenes were strange in that they added nothing to the film, except increasing the run time. This film would have been better with fewer of those scenes or more impactful ones in their place.

The Soloist is a good movie because Robert Downey, Jr. shines in the role, Jamie Foxx does decent work, and director Joe Wright keeps things moving. I might have liked this movie more, but it just felt like a quick attempt to make an Oscar-worthy film, rather than simply trying to make a great one. For that reason, this movie works and manages to entertain, but still makes me long for what it could have been.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Resurrecting the Champ, Ray, Shine, Zodiac