The Soloist

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The Soloist; Actor's picture de luxe
Topic Started: May 4 2009, 06:15 AM (84 Views)
panzer the great & terrible	May 4 2009, 06:15 AM Post #1
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,354 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	We're in Dee Cee and yesterday, with our dogs aching from all those marble floors, we decided to take in a movie. The multiplex mostly had stuff I had never heard of but the Grand Duchess steered us towards this movie, and I'm glad she did. Robert Downey, Jr., plays a newspaper reporter who runs into a homeless musician (Jamie Fox) who was once a Julliard student. Downey writes a series of articles about the guy and tries to help him, in the process learning about homelessness and mental illness in general. Can't tell more without spoilers. Downey is, as always, terrific, but Jamie Fox is the real revelation: he deserves an Oscar nomination. I love this movie. It doesn't offer easy solutions, but if you don't come away realizing that the homeless problem has to be dealt with, you're pretty darn thick. As a reporter, I've befriended homeless people (as much as you can befriend them), and I'll say that this is that rare movie that tells the truth. It is a true story, and the reporter and the homeless guy were on the set to advise the filmmakers. Panzer gives this five stars, but warns that you won't leave the theater whistling the tunes. My guess is, the bad reviews were by people who didn't like the subject matter presented realistically.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


The Batman	May 4 2009, 07:06 AM Post #2
Charter Member Posts: 5,570 Group: Members Member #17 Joined: September 4, 2005	The first positive review I have seen for this film. Mostly it has been said it is a bland vehicle and Foxx is just trying for another Oscar with a "prestige pic".



mort bakaprevski	May 4 2009, 07:25 AM Post #3
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,433 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Here's the review that turned me off of the movie. Kenneth Turan works with Steve Lopez on the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-soloist24-2009apr24,0,4718808.story
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


panzer the great & terrible	May 5 2009, 05:45 AM Post #4
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,354 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	Sorry, but this is how writers often do write about movies. I don't think he gets the film at all: he's too busy with what he thinks it ought to be. I agree about the light show, though. I went for popcorn.
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


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