Spring Break
True story turned film sheds light on urban issues
Sean Smith
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Although the marketing plan makes it seem like a movie based on music, it is more of a film about friendship and the socio-economic problems in America. "The Soloist" is a true story that follows the story of Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) as he searches for a new story to write about.
One day, Lopez discovers a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), playing a two-stringed violin on the street. Intrigued by the quality of his playing, Lopez begins to ask some questions and soon finds out that Ayers had once attended the Juilliard School of Music. After doing further investigation, Lopez discovers Ayers' prodigal cello playing and also finds out that Ayers had left Juilliard after becoming schizophrenic. Lopez becomes very interested in this and decides that he is going to write about the strange case.
The column about Nathaniel soon catches on and the public seems to be relating and empathizing with his situation. In fact, an old woman even donates an old cello for Nathaniel. Soon, Lopez finds he is trying harder to help Nathaniel not just because he thinks that the story can benefit from further involvement, but because he really sees the talent and passion in Nathaniel. He sympathizes with the fact that he has found himself in some hard times. Steve must decide if the best thing to do is to force Nathaniel to take medication for his illness or to just be his friend.
"The Soloist" is an extremely emotional movie that shows the power that music has as well as addresses the social injustices of homeless life. Not at any point does the film try to be something it is not. Director Joe Wright ("Atonement") realizes that this is a character-driven movie, so he decides to invest much of the film into this.
Lopez and Nathaniel's friendship becomes the center of the story (as it should be) and through this, the rest of the movie falls into place. Los Angeles serves as its own character. Set in Los Angeles' Skid Row, "The Soloist" focuses on the underbelly of the city, where the homeless are prominent. With such relatable characters and topics, one can't help but feel emotionally invested in this movie.
Foxx and Downey Jr. do a great job in their respective roles. Foxx commits fully to the role of Nathaniel Ayers - even filing down his own teeth to better fit the physical description and taking extensive lessons in the cello and violin. He effectively embodies the essence of his character and allows the audience to really empathize with him. There are some amazing flashback scenes, which show Ayers first showing symptoms of schizophrenia that are truly eerie and give great insight and understanding of the illness.
Despite Foxx's great commitment to the role, Downey Jr. truly is the focal point of the movie. Some actors are criticized for not playing a role, but for playing themselves as a certain character in a movie. Downey, on the other hand, takes a role and adds his signature charm and charisma to the character. His portrayal of Lopez is endearing, enjoyable and flat out relatable. The audience can follow Lopez's journey through the underbelly of Los Angeles and the homeless problem. The story is not just about Ayers but about the relationship between Lopez and Ayers and how they grow by knowing each other. The two actors work well together and let the audience invest in their relationship.
Overall, "The Soloist" is an extremely effective and emotional movie. It is able to shed light on a huge problem plaguing America by focusing on a relationship between two friends and how they help each other.
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