Everyday, we pass them on the city streets and sidewalks. They are the helpless, the friendless, the lost and disenfranchised souls... that are far from invisible, yet also, unseen in plain sight.
They are the nation's homeless.
However, what would happen if we took a moment to stop and look past the seemingly hopeless exterior of one of these lonely individuals... and see the true person hidden beneath their disheveled veneer. Would we be surprised at the potential genius hidden inside?
That's the revelation Robert Downey Jr. encounters in the new film. "The Soloist". Based on the real life story and book of the same name, Downey Jr. plays Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez who meets Nathaniel Ayers, a musically gifted homeless man skillfully portrayed by Jamie Foxx.
Ayers unique first encounter with Nathaniel begins even before they meet face to face. Ayers hears the music of Beethoven being beautifully played in the streets... amid the hussle and bustle of Los Angeles' busy downtown area. When, Ayers seeks out the source of the music being played... he is surprised and astonished to find it coming from the violin of the most unlikely of musicians... a disheveled, grimy, displaced man who rambles his jumbled words and random thoughts with the rapid fire pace of an automatic machine gun. Yet, behind the rambling, broken and ugly exterior... is a gifted musician with the ability to create beauty through his musical talent.
However, Lopez recognizes there is more to this homeless man than meets the eye. Ayers' talent is so profound... he's able to create such music with a broken violin that is missing several strings... and amid Ayers' ramblings is his mention of a past connection to Julliard. Lopez sees the opportunity for a great feature story... and follows the lead to discover Ayers was once a truly gifted Julliard student skilled in violin... but, most especially the cello.
As Lopez probes deeper into Ayers' story... he discovers the homeless man's future as a musician was cut short by schizophrenia - setting him on a path away from his family and onto the streets. Soon, Lopez' stories gain attention and the two form a unique friendship as the reporter digs deeper into Ayers' life.
Lopez' tries to help the often reluctant Ayers'. He provides him with a new cello and a safer place to play it off the streets... and he tries to gain attention for Ayers' long ignored musical talent.
In return, Ayers' positive outlook and love of music amid the dangerous squalor of living on the streets... gives Lopez a new outlook on life and a clearer vision of the homeless world he and so many others never truly see... or choose to ignore.
However, Lopez soon finds his desperate efforts to help Ayers... is often, not truly helpful or even wanted. All of this leads to a crisis of friendship and Lopez' own self examination of his motives and responsibility. Is it best for Lopez to force help and shelter on his altruistic "project"... or simply just accept Ayers for who he is... and simply be his friend ?
Robert Downey Jr. turns in another wonderful, yet understated performance in this film as the real life journalist Steve Lopez. His eagerness to help Ayers and his eventual conflict and frustration with the difficult results and unexpected responsibilities are wonderfully portrayed with effective subtlety.
Jamie Foxx is also impressive as Ayers. Foxx lends his character a childlike innocence that is a treat to behold... and his character's love of music seems to mirror Foxx's own real life passion for the art.
A fascinating sidebar aspect to the film's plot line are scenes that depict the beginnings of the decline of newspapers as a source of news in an increasingly online world. There are subtle moments showing layoffs, rumors of downsizing, and more that mirror the current state of the nation's newspapers' economic peril.
Director Joe Wright, who also helmed the tragic romantic drama Atonement... has a keen eye for unflinchingly depicting the desolation, loneliness, squalor and danger of living homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. There are some scenes of the city's homeless minions cowering and scavenging for food and shelter at night that resemble something from a post-apocalyptic vision more readily seen in a sci-fi fantasy film... yet, all the more riveting because we know this vision is real life.
Equally noteworthy is Wright's choice to not glamorize or sanitize the film's ending to satisfy the audience desire for a tidy, happy finale. "The Soloist" ends not only with a sense of hope and possibility; but also, it does not shy away from the fact that there are no easy, happy answers and resolutions for those affected by mental illness or economic circumstance.
As depicted in the film's final scene... there is only friendship, acceptance and music among the options we have carry us forward... through life's travails.
For more info about TV entertainment reporter / film critic, Tim Estiloz visit : www.Examiner.com and video reviews at Boston Latino TV : http://bostonlatino.tv/ - Visit Tim's website at : www.TimEstiloz.com