The Soloist

I have been looking forward to the soloist since the Holiday movie previews in December and was anxious to see it for myself.  Recently, one of the TV news magazines did a special about the characters in the movie.  You see this movie is based on a true story that is still being lived.  Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, a feature writer for the LA Times, who happens upon Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician on the streets of L.A.  When he finds that Ayers was a student at Juilliard School of Music in New York, he starts writing a series of human interest stories about Ayers, his talent and his schizophrenia that led him to the streets  This is where the story starts.  The reviewers get their panties in a bunch when anyone makes a movie out of a true story or a non fiction book.  I saw the real guys interviewed and I have seen the movie. Ignore the critics!

I sat through the movie with a lump in my throat several times.  My emotions went from exhilaration, to sadness, to inspired, to guilt, happy, etc.  It IS what i go to the movie for.

One of my favorite lines in the movie was when Lopez is trying to describe Ayers' music to his ex-wife and says,  " Ayers is filled with something that that I don't have!"  She answers, "It's called Grace."  

The visuals and symbols in the movie and the camera work with the music is a real treat.

These actors do a great, great job.  This simply was not the same Jamie Foxx that I saw perform in Vegas two weeks ago.  He had been transformed.

Side Note:  The real Nathaniel Ayers was a classmate at Juilliard with Yo Yo Mah.

I give it ****stars.  Best so far this year.  A must see movie for movie fans.

Now I want to read the book.

I have attached photos of the real people and their movie counterparts.

2009 movie #25