The Soloist (2008)

56% of critics liked it
(199 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(259,796 ratings)

Academy Award-nominated Atonement director Joe Wright teams with screenwriter Susannah Grant to tell the true-life story of Nathaniel Ayers, a former cello prodigy whose bouts with schizophrenia landed him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is a… More Academy Award-nominated Atonement director Joe Wright teams with screenwriter Susannah Grant to tell the true-life story of Nathaniel Ayers, a former cello prodigy whose bouts with schizophrenia landed him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is a disenchanted journalist stuck in a dead-end job. His marriage to a fellow journalist having recently come to an end, Steve is wandering through Los Angeles' Skid Row when he notices a bedraggled figure playing a two-stringed violin. The figure in question is Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a man whose promising career in music was cut short due to a debilitating bout with mental illness. The more Lopez learns about Ayers, the greater his respect grows for the troubled soul. How could a man with such remarkable talent wind up living on the streets, and not be performing on-stage with a symphony orchestra? Later, as Lopez embarks on a quixotic quest to help Ayers pull his life together and launch a career in music, he gradually comes to realize that it is not Ayers whose life is being transformed, but his own. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Joe Wright
Written By: Susannah Grant
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 24, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Aug 4, 2009
Studio: Dreamworks/Paramount

Critic Reviews

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
In the hands of a director more suited to the material The Soloist might have been a deeply moving experience. Here, we know something important is being played out before us, and there are times when it hits home with force. But in their exercise of dram
Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com
Has its moments, but too heavy-handed and predictable.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
Tthis is a maudlin, stereotypical story that never moved at all.
Ben Lyons, At the Movies
The film's biggest problem lies really in its pacing. Every time the plot takes an interesting turn or moves forward, it's stalled by one musical montage after another.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
I wish The Soloist had done more than pay lip service to this subject, but the traces of what might have been are still resonant.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
A failed and problematic Oscar hopeful being dumped in theaters a week before the start of Hollywood's summer season.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
The subject matter is a little too easy to overdo for that, but it is pretty good, thanks to a pair of fine performances from its leads and a director who understands understatement. And sometimes those can be as rare to find as a genuine musical prodigy.
Matt Kelemen, Las Vegas CityLife
The Soloist never completely transcends that Hollywood formula feel, but it has enough transcendent moments to make it worth recommending.
Don Groves, sbs.com.au
There's no crescendo in Joe Wright's drama.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
While Downey and Foxx did fine jobs acting, the script they were handed was just so deliberately attempting to make the audience weep.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Develops the feel-good plot in true newspaper style: a few heart tugs followed by a punch in the face.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Una película sobre periodismo y marginalidad, sobre el poder redentor del arte y la solidaridad humana, sostenida por dos buenas actuaciones de Jamie Foxx y Robert Downey Jr.
S. James Wegg, JWR
The music's as troubled as the subject matter
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
"The Soloist" is not a film in which you anticipate Robert Downey Jr. will be twice doused in urine. Such are the territorial markings of Joe Wright, whose directorial quirks undermine moving moments and committed performances in this musical biopic.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The two actors work beautifully together, playing characters who are angry and frustrated in their different ways, and sentimentality is kept firmly at bay.
Dan Jolin, Empire Magazine
Intelligent and uncompromising, with knock-out performances from Downey Jr. and Foxx.
Dave Calhoun, Time Out
A deliriously imperfect film - and all the better for it.
James Mottram, Film4
The Soloist brings to life its story with genuine compassion, neatly avoiding many of the traps that afflict Hollywood films about mental illness. And Jamie Foxx's transformation will simply astound.
Toby Young, Times [UK]
Ultimately, the reason that The Soloist fails is because the writer and the director have been bamboozled by the seriousness of the subject matter.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
A handsomely made but tonally uncertain film; it's unsure whether to be an old-fashioned inspirational heartwarmer, or a paranoid prose-poem about ruined lives on the city's dangerous margins.

Read all 21 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

I had low expectations for this movie, based on bad reviews, but in all, it wasn't that bad. The acting was solid - Robert Downey Jr. really is a talent, and Jamie Foxx embraced a challenging role - and the visual treatment was interesting, wandering away from the narrative in… More
I had low expectations for this movie, based on bad reviews, but in all, it wasn't that bad. The acting was solid - Robert Downey Jr. really is a talent, and Jamie Foxx embraced a challenging role - and the visual treatment was interesting, wandering away from the narrative in places just to throw in odd moments of beauty. The story is one you've heard a hundred times, but for a one-time watch, there's no reason this forgettable movie's any worse than the many like it that have come before. Nothing really original, but not a failure, either. I give it one big "Mmmmeh."
Jameson W

Okay film...
Anthony L

The Soloist was a huge disappointment for me, as the trailer had made it look great. OK, so Jamie Foxx's performance was very good, and if Steve Lopez is as unlikable in real life as I suspect, Robert Downey Jr played him perfectly. The problem is that it tries to hard to pull at… More
The Soloist was a huge disappointment for me, as the trailer had made it look great. OK, so Jamie Foxx's performance was very good, and if Steve Lopez is as unlikable in real life as I suspect, Robert Downey Jr played him perfectly. The problem is that it tries to hard to pull at the heart strings and fails miserably. The film flicks clumsily between the present and the past, the characters never seem true to themselves and change without reason but above all, the production is just plain lazy. A man's 20 year decent into mental illness explained by shaking the camera for 5 minutes. Great, Good job Joe Wright! Also, we are supposed to be amazed by this talented cellist but when ever he plays you hear a whole orchestra. Could they have hired a profession cellist for the day? Don't get me started on the scenes with the homeless. Contrived nonsense written by an unlikable parasite of a man. Bitterly disappointing.
Alexander D

Starring Jamie Foxx as the titular character, and also starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the man who brings him to success, THE SOLOIST is a moving, bittersweet drama. It tells the story of a man, working for the city paper, who discovers another man named Nathaniel Ayers playing a… More
Starring Jamie Foxx as the titular character, and also starring Robert Downey, Jr. as the man who brings him to success, THE SOLOIST is a moving, bittersweet drama. It tells the story of a man, working for the city paper, who discovers another man named Nathaniel Ayers playing a violin without all four strings on the street. He begins to write columns in the newspaper about Nathaniel, which brings him to fame and success, eventually leading up to the point at which he begins playing the cello for a symphonic orchestra. Okay, so it's clear that this is just like any other film about music made fairly recently--AUGUST RUSH, RAY, you name it. The gist of it is the same: a man is discovered for his musical talent, he rises to fame, the end. The big question, though, is, "Of all the music dramas made in the past ten years, which one is truly worth my time and money?" That's easy, after seeing this: THE SOLOIST is your number-one best bet.
Brad W

This was a good movie, but not great. The Soloist is about Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a schitzophrenic musical prodigy, and Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) a writer who becomes friends with Nathaniel and tries to make him the muscician he's meant to be. The plot is okay, it… More
This was a good movie, but not great. The Soloist is about Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a schitzophrenic musical prodigy, and Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) a writer who becomes friends with Nathaniel and tries to make him the muscician he's meant to be. The plot is okay, it mostly just another movie trying to inspire us. The cast is the best part, Foxx and Downey are amazing andwere superb in the film. They did a good job on this film, but its very slow and predictable, and couldve been better.
Jeff "

I was looking forward into seeing The Soloist and by what I saw in the trailer, the film looked like it had potential. However, most of the time, the film falls flat and ends up being quite boring. I think it's disappointing because the film had potential in being something… More
I was looking forward into seeing The Soloist and by what I saw in the trailer, the film looked like it had potential. However, most of the time, the film falls flat and ends up being quite boring. I think it's disappointing because the film had potential in being something wonderful, and instead, ends up being predictable, overly sentimental and fairly hokey. Considering the talent involved, you'd expect something really good. However, the film ends up being borderline decent. The story could have been something really good, but it feels that the filmmakers took the easy way out, and wrote a somewhat mediocre screenplay that could have been much better. The result is displayed on screen and you simply notice somethings missing to make this a really good film. I felt that the cast was wasted and the film didn't work very well. I thought it was a decent film, but nothing great, and I also thought that this film could have been much better. The Soloist tries too hard to be a sentimental film, and when you're supposed to feel something, you end up not really caring. The soloist as a whole is a disappointing film with a good cast that could have been much better. This is a decent film, nothing great or truly memorable.
Conner R

As far as feel good or inspiring stories go, The Soloist is an utter god. Not only is it different than the rest of its kind, it has so much to say about contemporary society alongside a single heart-breaking story. Steve Lopez's work will hopefully be recognized more and more… More
As far as feel good or inspiring stories go, The Soloist is an utter god. Not only is it different than the rest of its kind, it has so much to say about contemporary society alongside a single heart-breaking story. Steve Lopez's work will hopefully be recognized more and more and the issue of homelessness in America is something we should all be trying to fix. Part of why this story and these characters are so worthy of your time is due to the duo of Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Both give truly great performances and get you so wrapped up in what is being said. Say what you will about Jamie Foxx in some of his other work, but this is undeniably the best I've seen him in. Robert Downey Jr. only gives two types of perfomances; great and amazing (even in the black tar heroin days). His characters are realistic, entertaining and mesmerizing. Steve Lopez might be the straight man in this, but it's one of the best out there. Aside from the performances, this has surprisingly great cinematography and direction. The look of LA is totally genuine, especially when they're in the L.A.M.P. area with all the real homeless.
Unknown H

Not the kind of film I would necessarily go for but again my love of an actor drew me to what is now one of my favorite movies. Robery Downey Jr who will always be on my top ten, plays a journalist with nothing to lose who befriends a homeless musician, Jamie Foxx. Convinced he is… More
Not the kind of film I would necessarily go for but again my love of an actor drew me to what is now one of my favorite movies. Robery Downey Jr who will always be on my top ten, plays a journalist with nothing to lose who befriends a homeless musician, Jamie Foxx. Convinced he is helping the man, Downey interviews him for his newspaper and tries to get the man into a house and back on track with his life. It soon becomes clear that Foxx's character is severely damaged and so begins a self destructive relationship between the two that eventually shows that all that either of them have is each other. Beautifully shot and with a soundtrack as wonderful as the acting, this is one that deserves every star it gets.
Steven C

There isn't exactly anything wrong with "The Soloist", it's well acted by Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx and Joe Wright handles the material with grace. It's also beautiful to look at with lovely cinematography. But much like "Eat Pray Love",… More
There isn't exactly anything wrong with "The Soloist", it's well acted by Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx and Joe Wright handles the material with grace. It's also beautiful to look at with lovely cinematography. But much like "Eat Pray Love", memoirs shouldn't be movies. You simply just can't capture the emotion of a true story like this on film. "The Soloist" works best as an expose on the homelessness issue in Los Angeles rather than the portrait of a musical genius who has lost his way in life due to mental illness. This would have worked much better as a documentary.
Thomas J

Crazy has no cure and this movie takes too long to make that point!
danny d

a passionate and engaging film that was also riddled with an unfortunate series of turns that left the film without focus. ultimately every time the film seemed to introduce a sub plot that i thought i would become interested in it went nowhere, leaving all characters but the main… More
a passionate and engaging film that was also riddled with an unfortunate series of turns that left the film without focus. ultimately every time the film seemed to introduce a sub plot that i thought i would become interested in it went nowhere, leaving all characters but the main two without much purpose. the leads did an alright job getting us through the main point of the film, but i felt that i was left hanging too often to feel great about the final product.
Richard C

B
Randy T

Joe Wright's big budget bio-pic about the intersection of a talented, homeless musician and an egotistical but kind-hearted newspaper columnist. <i>The Soloist</i> falters because it tries far too hard to be sentimental. Wright has taken a fantastic true story and… More
Joe Wright's big budget bio-pic about the intersection of a talented, homeless musician and an egotistical but kind-hearted newspaper columnist. <i>The Soloist</i> falters because it tries far too hard to be sentimental. Wright has taken a fantastic true story and turned it into a forgettable collection of cliches.
Red L

The old "help a down-and-out guy which transforms both their lives" movie. Reminds me of "Reign Over Me". I don't mind movies like this. Gives me hope that there is hope for the human race. But it does ask interesting questions about how does society… More
The old "help a down-and-out guy which transforms both their lives" movie. Reminds me of "Reign Over Me". I don't mind movies like this. Gives me hope that there is hope for the human race. But it does ask interesting questions about how does society help the homeless?
Al S

A very touching, deeply moving and incredibly inspirational film. It's smart, funny and remarkable. A dazzling work of art that you wont ever forget, with performances and craftsmanship so superb it can truly be considered a masterpiece. Robert Downy Jr. and Jamie Foxx are… More
A very touching, deeply moving and incredibly inspirational film. It's smart, funny and remarkable. A dazzling work of art that you wont ever forget, with performances and craftsmanship so superb it can truly be considered a masterpiece. Robert Downy Jr. and Jamie Foxx are absolutely superb, giving career defining performances. Foxx takes his game to a whole new level that you would not think he could, he truly is magnificent. Downy Jr. is outstanding, shining with power, humor and emotion. He has brought such velocity and dedication to his roles lately, and this film is just more living proof. A movie that should not be missed. It's so powerful and unforgettable. It's compelling, riveting and satisfying. A tremendously enjoyable, inspiring, touching, funny and sensational knockout. I loved it. A glorious and heart-warming stand up and cheer classic.
Chris W

The story is good, no question there, but the screenplay is the issue, well, one of them. It's not a bad screenplay, but it's nothing special or new, either. The direction likewise, is uneven, and it seems as if the director is unsure with what to focus on. Other than that,… More
The story is good, no question there, but the screenplay is the issue, well, one of them. It's not a bad screenplay, but it's nothing special or new, either. The direction likewise, is uneven, and it seems as if the director is unsure with what to focus on. Other than that, this film is not too bad. It's moving, inspiring, and the performances, it goes without saying, are terrific. It's obvious this film was trying to be Oscar bait, but, even though it failed in this regard, it should be commended for trying. This is worth watching at least once, if only for the acting.
Film C

Well Robert Downey Jr looked Gorgeous!! The movie bored me, i didnt even watch it till the end, Jamie Foxx may be showing excelllent acting skills (maybe) but he just irritated me, and i couldnt stand watching the movie so i just fell asleep!! Its not my cup of tea a bit boring… More
Well Robert Downey Jr looked Gorgeous!! The movie bored me, i didnt even watch it till the end, Jamie Foxx may be showing excelllent acting skills (maybe) but he just irritated me, and i couldnt stand watching the movie so i just fell asleep!! Its not my cup of tea a bit boring and Annoying!
Megan S

It was an okay movie, I feel like I just wanted Steve to leave Nathaniel alone most of the time. It reminded me a lot of people's experiences in the mental health system and why they dont want to get treatment.
Tim S

This movie is as flat out, bat shit crazy as the main character. There are true moments of greatness in this film (the opening, the ending, the acting, a certain scene with colors which was not only ballsy, but beautiful), but then there are scenes so heavy handed they become… More
This movie is as flat out, bat shit crazy as the main character. There are true moments of greatness in this film (the opening, the ending, the acting, a certain scene with colors which was not only ballsy, but beautiful), but then there are scenes so heavy handed they become laughable (the scene which shows Nathaniel snapping from reality is like something out of the Saw series). Again, this is a great chance to make something great considering the cast (Downey, Jr is getting a little too smug for my taste these days, but still solid and Foxx at certain moments shows great range along with the always dependable Keener) and Joe Wright (say what you will about him, he knows how to frame and all of his films look gorgeous) and they end up killing it with political sentiment (can we force Iraq into being the new Vietnam anymore...fuck and the Hurricane Katrina stuff made absolutely no sense) and a terrible script. Could have been something.
KJ P

It was good, but at times I found it a little confusing!