MOVIE REVIEW

MOVIE / MUSIC

The Soloist

AN unusual true story, an unlikely friendship between two men, set in the suburbs of Los Angeles that tackles the harsh realities of homelessness and the plight of the mentally ill. Based on a book by Steve Lopez, Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of Steve Lopez, an award-winning columnist with the Los Angeles Times who deals with the plight of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a homeless schizophrenic and gifted musician.

On his way to work as usual, his face hurting from a recent bike accident, Lopez discovers Ayers playing Beethoven exquisitely on a violin with two strings. Lopez is captivated by this extraordinary talent, even through its played on a half-broken instrument. Ayers' plays Beethoven below the statue of the maestro, close to where he has also made his temporary home… a place on the streets.

A second visit and Lopez is taken up by his plight. He writes a series of human-interest articles about him and the situation of the homeless in LA that capture the public's imagination. Lopez befriends Ayers and moves into his past, unaware of the problems that are to come. But he soon learns of the harsh realities of Ayers and those like him. He tries to get Ayers off the streets, even going to the extent of reconciling Ayer with his estranged sister, putting him in a home for homeless and winning his friendship. Can Lopez help Ayers erase his past and fix his life?

The Soloist is an eye-opener to the LA street life of the homeless. The two actors work beautifully together, playing characters that are angry and frustrated in different ways. A very moving and well-made film, minus the Hollywood traps, showing the strong bond between two people - one black, the other white.

— Verus Ferreira

BIG Home Video, Rs 499/-