See It or Skip It: The Soloist

Robert Downey Jr. can do no wrong.

That’s what he proves in The Soloist, a film that would profoundly suffer from his absence.

Based on LA Times reporter Steve Lopez’s articles and subsequent book of the same name, The Soloist is about Lopez’s initial fascination and subsequent friendship with a homeless, schizophrenic Julliard trained cellist, played by Jamie Foxx.

The film has all the makings of Oscar bait, but our first clue that this might not be exceptional came when its release date was moved from November 21st, a prime award season slot, to its new, relatively obscure April date.

The Soloist isn’t a bad movie, it just isn’t a good movie.

Downey Jr. plays Lopez with irreverent, sardonic wit, saving the film from the land of the schmaltz it seems bound for, while Foxx is teetering on the edge of going "full retard."

That's not to say Nathaniel Ayers, the homeless musician he's portraying is retarded: it's that Foxx’s performance is a little retarded and over the top. He's got the Will Smith Syndrome; you can see him grunting and preening in a desperate attempt for more Oscar glory. There’s simply too much acting going on.

Director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) tries to create images that allow you to see sound as Ayers might but it looks more like a computer screen saver. His is more successful at accentuating the constant texture of noise, something that is tangible throughout the piece but lacks subtlety and ease. The same is true for expositional flashbacks of Ayers’ life, illustrating how he slipped into mental illness. Clunky and bordering on laughable, some are so poorly constructed they appear to be sophomoric experimental cinema.

If it weren’t for the beating heart of the film, Downey Jr., this would be an absolute skip it.

But his performance is so compelling we’re almost tempted to give it a see it.

But we’re not going it.

Enjoy it one rainy afternoon on cable in about three months instead.

—Sasha Perl-Raver