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El Maskado
Arrrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:17 pm Posts: 21572
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The Soloist
The SoloistQuote: The Soloist is a 2009 American/French/British drama film directed by Joe Wright, and starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. The screenplay by Susannah Grant is based on the book, The Soloist by Steve Lopez. The film is based on a true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who develops schizophrenia and becomes homeless.
Foxx portrays Ayers, who is considered a cello prodigy, and Downey portrays Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist who discovers Ayers and writes about him in the newspaper. The film was released in theatres on 24 April 2009 and on DVD and Blu-Ray August 5.
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Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:06 pm |
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Jmart
Superman: The Movie
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 8:47 am Posts: 21152 Location: Massachusetts
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Re: The Soloist
It doesn't work. The acting is top notch, but the film is too focused on politics and the struggles of the homeless when it should be focused on their relationship and Foxx's illness. Pieces of the film work. There's a scene in the film where Lopez brings Ayers to a orchestral dress rehearsal and we get to see the music through Ayers' mind. It kind of reminded me of the scene towards the end of 2001 that's like an acid trip with the colors. It might be a case here of the director showing off (and he's guilty of that from time to time in the film) but I liked the scene. And as I said the acting is top notch between Foxx and Downey.
But the film has it's attention in the wrong place. The film should've been more about Ayers and his relationship with Lopez. Pieces of it are there but it feels like some scenes are missing because the politics get in the way. Homelessness is bad. Great, thanks for wasting my time. Next you'll tell us that music can enrich us all and bring us together. Oh, wait.....
**
_________________My DVD Collection Marty McGee (1989-2005)
If I’m not here, I’m on Letterboxd.
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Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:59 pm |
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Box
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:52 am Posts: 25990
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Re: The Soloist
Jmart007 wrote: It doesn't work. The acting is top notch, but the film is too focused on politics and the struggles of the homeless when it should be focused on their relationship and Foxx's illness. Pieces of the film work. There's a scene in the film where Lopez brings Ayers to a orchestral dress rehearsal and we get to see the music through Ayers' mind. It kind of reminded me of the scene towards the end of 2001 that's like an acid trip with the colors. It might be a case here of the director showing off (and he's guilty of that from time to time in the film) but I liked the scene. And as I said the acting is top notch between Foxx and Downey.
But the film has it's attention in the wrong place. The film should've been more about Ayers and his relationship with Lopez. Pieces of it are there but it feels like some scenes are missing because the politics get in the way. Homelessness is bad. Great, thanks for wasting my time. Next you'll tell us that music can enrich us all and bring us together. Oh, wait.....
** you repeated the same thing three or four times in 2 paragraphs...
_________________In order of preference: Christian, Argos MadGez wrote: Briefs. Am used to them and boxers can get me in trouble it seems. Too much room and maybe the silkiness have created more than one awkward situation. My Box-Office Blog: http://boxofficetracker.blogspot.com/
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Sun May 03, 2009 3:11 pm |
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Jmart
Superman: The Movie
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 8:47 am Posts: 21152 Location: Massachusetts
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Re: The Soloist
Thanks for reading!
_________________My DVD Collection Marty McGee (1989-2005)
If I’m not here, I’m on Letterboxd.
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Sun May 03, 2009 5:39 pm |
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Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm Posts: 11019
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Re: The Soloist
EMBARRASSING. I don't care how good Pride & Prejudice was. Joe Wright is clearly an asshole.
I want to forget this ever happened.
_________________ k
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Sat May 23, 2009 12:51 am |
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billybobwashere
He didn't look busy?!
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 3:59 pm Posts: 4308
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Re: The Soloist
All the pieces were there, and I should have loved it, but it just didn't... come together right. On the surface, it works very well; top-notch acting, with a brilliant performance by Downey Jr., and a pretty good performance from Foxx in a very difficult role; strong direction from Joe Wright, who knows how to set up a camera, how to make listening to music an emotional thing, etc.; and maybe above all else, it's a movie about a cellist, and I play the cello myself, something that during a few scenes made me enjoy it much more than I imagine most people did. But... something about it didn't work. What I think it was was that the movie tried to balance a number of unrelated issues, and only did a so-so job connecting them together. Part of it is about this schizophrenic musician, part of it is about homelessness in Los Angeles (which was portrayed in a too-stereotypical manner, coming from the perspective of a Los Angelino), and part of it is about a struggling writer and what was going on in his life. Also, it did fumble in a few places. As I mentioned, the homelessness of LA is bad, but the way they pulled it off here was pretty unrealistic, based on all that I've seen. Jamie Foxx tries his hardest, but I just don't think he was cut out for this role. And, again, it loses its focus too often.
C+
I must say, though, that the Kubrick-inspired sequence of flashing colors playing alongside the music was spectacular.
_________________Retroviral VideosA film-based project created for the purpose of helping raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, specifically in South Africa.
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Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:02 pm |
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Michael A
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:48 am Posts: 6245
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Re: The Soloist
I think I posted in here but it got lost during one of the server transactions. It's an okay film with great acting, but a very misguided screenplay and mediocre directing. It was great whenever music was the issue but they tried to turn the film into a big social project pointing out our problems with homeless people, etc. and did a half-assed job of it. 3/5
_________________Mr. R wrote: Malcolm wrote: You seem to think threatening violence against people is perfectly okay because you feel offended by their words, so that's kind of telling in itself. Exactly. If they don't know how to behave, and feel OK offending others, they get their ass kicked, so they'll think next time before opening their rotten mouths.
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Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:15 pm |
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Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm Posts: 11019
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Re: The Soloist
Guys, just because it's Robert Downey, Jr does not mean it is a great performance. In fact, it's anything but. He has a long history of giving fun performances in bad-to-terrible movies (Chaplin, Chances Are, Only You, so on and so on), but he has never been as uninteresting as he is in this one.
He's bored, I'm bored, everyone's bored.
And then there's poor Jamie Foxx...
_________________ k
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Thu Jun 04, 2009 12:23 pm |
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billybobwashere
He didn't look busy?!
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 3:59 pm Posts: 4308
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Re: The Soloist
Downey may not have had the most difficult role ever, but I thought he did a great job portraying the frustration that Steve Lopez must've felt trying to get this guy's life back in place. At the least, I completely understood how he felt when he lost his shit later on in the story.
He was one of the film's few bright spots, imo.
_________________Retroviral VideosA film-based project created for the purpose of helping raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, specifically in South Africa.
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Thu Jun 04, 2009 1:17 pm |
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BK
Forum General
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 8:30 am Posts: 7041
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Re: The Soloist
Godawful movie. Acting was alright. Foxx was better than Downey Jr. But I really had no sympathy in the way it was all portrayed. The movie felt overly long by 25 mins. Terribly edited. Poor ass screenplay. Also saw some clip of the real dude later and he wasn't at all as portrayed. Many issues as mentioned were tried to be brought up but poorly developed. Waste of time. Someone else could have done this much better.
_________________ Calls Ghost Rider + Clash of the Titans = 2x Wrath of the Titans + Ghost Rider 2 Lorax over Despicable Me Men in Black 3 Under 100m Madagascar 3 Under 100m Rise of the Guardians over 250m
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Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:09 am |
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jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm Posts: 12333
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Re: The Soloist
It goes on and on and on. What was a close to 2-hour film ran into one that felt like 5+ hours. Jamie Foxx gives one of his worst performances here and just completely overexaggerates his character's life. You don't feel any concern during the film as everything is overpushy and completely arrogant. Robert Downey Jr. did an ok job but even he can't lead out in the pack of such a shallow film. Such a disappointment and one of the worst of 2009. 1/2*
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Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:28 pm |
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Jesus Christ
INRI
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 2:40 am Posts: 666 Location: Bethlehem, Nazareth, The Cross, Heaven, Earth
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Re: The Soloist
a good movie about masturbation. however, it's very bad.
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Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:43 am |
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