(Jamie Foxx & Robert Downey Jr. play the main characters in the complex and moving story of a homeless man and the journalist who befriends him in The Soloist.)Schizophrenia, homelessness, journalism, classism, tough relationships are all highlighted in the upcoming movie, The Soloist. Oh, and then there is the music.
Based on the true story and book (The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music) written by LA Times journalist Steve Lopez about Nathaniel Ayers initially attracted me to it for its story of redemption through music. Due to the fact that my parents played the violin & viola, the music of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms almost always brings back nostalgic memories.
Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Lopez in the movie is really intense. From the time he careens off his bicycle and lands in the emergency room, to his interest, friendship and intense longing to help, and then to befriend the homeless, Ayers, portrayed by Jamie Foxx, you can feel his pain, frustration, anger, hopelessness and eventual resignation to "fix" things.
This is not an easy movie to always watch. Homelessness and mental illness are not as easily solved as most would like to think. However, the dignity that inside each individual, even if that may only appear briefly, is one of the things this movie really shows us.
3 comments:
I look SO forward to this movie. Thanks for the review!
The REAL, TRUE story was recently told on 60 Minutes. And while I am sure Mr. Foxx and Mr. Downey, Jr. will do the story justice, I did find the real deal very compelling.
I saw the "60 Minutes" piece as well, and heard an interview with Mr. Lopez on NPR just yesterday. I've been curious about the movie, so it's good to read your take on it. A
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