Movie Review: The Soloist

The Soloist is a story of a schizophrenic music savant and his friendship with a LA Times reporter. The film is based on a true story and stars Jamie Fox and Robert Downey Jr. The acting in this movie is impeccable but the direction is suspect. Fox and Downey continue to crank out Oscar worthy performances and don't show signs of letting up any time soon. If not for over reaching by the director this would be a must see Oscar hopeful of 2010. The director, not for a lack of trying, tries to take us into the mind of the schizophrenic. There is a light show in the middle of the movie that goes a little long and these loud fits that make me want to FFW. It ruins the tempo of the movie, where you should be feeling sorry for Fox's character, you want to push him in front of a car. There is a point in the movie where Downey's character ominously says that if the story were made into a book there would be no ending. Low and behold this prophecy comes true, only instead of a book it's a 2 hour movie. Final thoughts, this movie is a pass for me. You can see the superb acting in the 20 second preview. Leave it at that. I'll give it 2.5 jars of a homeless crazies piss