A film of enormous integrity, it's exquisitely acted, beautifully written, sensitively filmed and filled with memorable moments.
Comment
04/22/09
The Soloist (2009)
55
%
Tomatometer
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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.
Theatrical Release:25-09-2009
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... [More]
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander
Director: Joe Wright
Reviews for The Soloist
161 - 180 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
The florid visual style of British director Joe Wright (Atonement) drowns out fine though not stellar turns by Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx and lessens the movie’s emotional impact. The uplifting power of music still registers—of cinema, not so much.
04/22/09
Both actors deliver award worthy performances and I hope their work here is remembered at the end of the year.
04/22/09
The tears it elicits are earned. But there’s an element of fantastic fate that’s discordant. Foxx is playing a miracle; Downey, a lapsed believer. Both are capable of more.
04/22/09
It's marvelous work all around, especially by Foxx and Downey. Their duet makes The Soloist sing.
04/22/09
Foxx is definitely putting in the effort; The Soloist, however, is settling for something much less.
04/22/09
A duet, with two master performers collaborating in absorbing harmony.
04/22/09
The Soloist takes all those innately engaging details and turns them into what is essentially a made-for-Lifetime movie, albeit one populated by Oscar winners and nominees.
04/22/09
An artistic failure from conception, it’s British director Joe 'Steadicam' Wright’s torrent of self-righteousness equal to the frequently referenced Hurricane Katrina.
04/22/09
[A] keening elegy for us, for our society, for how we have utterly failed the most helpless of our own...
04/22/09
Foxx and Downey's disciplined duet come close to redeeming The Soloist from its visual excesses.
04/22/09
The Soloist is a moving, inspirational story told in a straightforward style, refreshingly devoid of sentimentality.
04/22/09
Mr Downey and Mr. Foxx both turn in Oscar-worthy performances in their very strenuous and detail-drenched roles.
04/22/09
A sensitive but surprisingly unmoving portrayal of the friendship (based on a true story) between a Los Angeles Times writer and a troubled street musician living on the streets of Skid Row. Jamie Foxx gives a standout performance.
04/22/09
Two great performers lose out because "The Soloist" has the potential to be better than the directed product.
04/22/09
[Attempts to] manipulate the audience's emotions and get them to feel something doesn't work, because it comes across as preachy rather than emotional and moving.
04/21/09
I don’t know if Beethoven and a sympathetic newspaper reporter can redeem a messy American city, but this movie makes a plausible case for so fervent a dream.
04/20/09
The movie is a noble enterprise, and Downey is stupendous as usual, but Joe Wright’s direction is too slick to elicit much feeling.
04/20/09
Jamie Foxx does a magnificent job in his most challenging outing since Ray.
04/19/09
Heartfelt performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx can't counteract a lack of narrative focus that prevents the film from taking hold.
04/17/09
Latest News for The Soloist
April 23, 2009:
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The environment needs saving so Hollywood is doing its part to go green by opening recycled versions of Fatal Attraction and Fight Club in hopes of attracting young adults. In a... More...
April 21, 2009:
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April 20, 2009:
Jamie Foxx riveting as schizophrenic savant in his best role since Ray. 
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