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Movies / On DVD / The Soloist
The Soloist

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The Soloist (2009)

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Reviews Counted:181

Fresh:99

Rotten:82

Average Rating:5.9/10

Consensus: Though it features strong performances by its lead players, a lack of narrative focus prevents The Soloist from hitting its mark.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for thematic elements, some drug use and language.

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Apr 24, 2009 Wide

Box Office: $31,670,931

Synopsis: Director Joe Wright (ATONEMENT, PRIDE & PREJUDICE) brings the true story of an unlikely friendship to life in THE SOLOIST. An award-winning columnist with the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez (Robert... Director Joe Wright (ATONEMENT, PRIDE & PREJUDICE) brings the true story of an unlikely friendship to life in THE SOLOIST. An award-winning columnist with the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) ultimately becomes an advocate for L.A.’s homeless population when he meets Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a talented musician who's been playing a two-stringed violin while living on the streets and battling mental illness. Struck by Ayers’s passion for music, Lopez begins to write a series of columns about his new acquaintance while attempting to get him off the streets and playing music again. Amidst numerous achievements and setbacks, Lopez and Ayers develop a friendship based on mutual respect despite their many differences, and Lopez rediscovers his humanity. While the focus of the film is the relationship that develops between the two men, the film also tackles the harsh realities of homelessness and the plight of the mentally ill. Lending authenticity to the story, a number of L.A.’s homeless population were cast as extras in the film. An additional subplot is the quandary that daily newspapers face as the world and the news increasingly go electronic, and popular news becomes more sensationalistic. Foxx is both heartbreaking and life-affirming as Ayers, whose undiagnosed schizophrenia drove him away from Juilliard as a young man, and whose fierce independence keeps him on the streets. Downey Jr. turns in a nuanced performance as Lopez, who finally realizes that while he may not be able to save Ayers, he can accept him as he is. Catherine Keener, Lisa Gay Hamilton, and Tom Hollander appear in supporting roles. [More]

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton

Director: Joe Wright

Director: Joe Wright
Screenwriter: Susannah Grant
Producer: Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff
Composer: Dario Marianelli
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 4, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region [unknown]
  • NTSC
  • Keep Case - Sensormatic
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Deleted Scenes

Featurette:

  • 1. An Unlikely Friendship: Making The Soloist
  • 2. Kindness, Courtesy and Respect: Mr. Ayers + Mr. Lopez
  • 3. ne Size Does Not Fit All: Addressing Homelessness in Los Angeles
  • 4. Beth's Story

Audio Commentary:

  • 1. Director Joe Wright
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Soloist

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61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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The story surely is interesting, but in this form, not terribly enlightening.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
04/28/09
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

Downey and Foxx are the top of their acting game - and so is Keener.

Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com | comment Comment
04/28/09
Jackie K. Cooper
Jackie K. Cooper
jackiekcooper.com

A colorful portrayal of friendship, the transformative power of music and an examination of Los Angeles homelessness that entertains as well as it informs.

Full Review Source: Tulsa World | comment Comment
04/27/09
Michael Smith
Michael Smith
Tulsa World

Has its moments, but too heavy-handed and predictable.

Full Review Source: Richard Roeper.com | comment Comment
04/27/09
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper.com

Tthis is a maudlin, stereotypical story that never moved at all.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
04/27/09
Ben Mankiewicz
Ben Mankiewicz
At the Movies

The film’s biggest problem lies really in its pacing. Every time the plot takes an interesting turn or moves forward, it’s stalled by one musical montage after another.

Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
04/27/09
Ben Lyons
Ben Lyons
At the Movies

Great acting by Keener, Downey, and Foxx but far too long and too many ECUs. More Keener would have helped. She's something special.

Full Review Source: Tolucan Times | comment Comment
04/26/09
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
Tolucan Times

There are moments when Downey verbalizes a simple line of dialogue that becomes so profound through his magic of subtle emotion we're transformed.

Full Review Source: ReviewExpress.com | comment Comment
04/26/09
Diana Saenger
Diana Saenger
ReviewExpress.com

Although Jamie Foxx's performance in 'The Soloist' is worth the ticket price, the film fails to leave audiences with a satisfying ending.

Full Review Source: BlackFilm.com | comment Comment
04/25/09
Wilson Morales
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com

I liked The Soloist more than most disease/triumph over adversity movies. It's more believable, more sincere and just more interesting than most. I just can't get over the feeling of filmmakers patting themselves on the back..."

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
04/25/09
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine

Blessed with superb performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, 'The Soloist' deserves consideration during this year's awards season.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/25/09
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

The movie bears a close resemblance to a slightly better "Resurrecting the Champ," which revolved around boxing rather than music. The filmmakers should have taken a few cues from "Marley & Me," which had a sweet and endearing quality while employing a...

Full Review Source: Entertainment Spectrum | comment 1 Comment
04/24/09
Keith Cohen
Keith Cohen
Entertainment Spectrum

We expect beautiful music from The Soloist, but we suffer through some blaring false notes along the way.

Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | comment 1 Comment
04/24/09
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
What Would Toto Watch?

...it's a shame The Soloist may get ignored by moviegoers and critics groups alike as it features a couple of the best performances we're likely to see in all of 2009.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
04/24/09
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

[Some will] wonder how I could bash a story so "touching," so "humane," so "heartwarming." One word: manipulation.

Full Review Source: Tri-City Herald | comment 1 Comment
04/24/09
Gary Wolcott
Gary Wolcott
Tri-City Herald

I wish The Soloist had done more than pay lip service to this subject, but the traces of what might have been are still resonant.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
04/24/09
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

The Soloist keeps skirting the gassy clichés of the uplifting triumph-of-the-underdog movie before ultimately surrendering to soppy sentimentality.

Full Review Source: MSNBC | comment Comment
04/24/09
Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC

In general, I hate these kinds of movies. I find them tedious, boring, pretentious and long-winded.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment 9 Comments
04/24/09
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

It’s a safe, inspirational film, but it’s an exceedingly well crafted one.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
04/24/09
Chris Bumbray
Chris Bumbray
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

The writer, Susannah Grant, director Joe Wright, and especially the two superb leading actors all give the film life and humanity.

Full Review Source: Movie City News | comment Comment
04/24/09
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Movie City News
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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April 21, 2009: Five Favorite Films with Director Joe Wright
Earlier this decade, Joe Wright directed two very English movies from two very English novels, both which had the fortune of achieving international crossover appeal. 2005's... More...

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