When it comes to movies based on a true story, happy endings are best and hopeful endings can work. The true story told in The Soloist is more hopeful than happy. Unfortunately, due to the slow pace of the story, The Soloist, didn’t really work.
Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), a L.A. Times columnist meets, by happenstance, a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Fox), and befriends him. I should say, befriends him to the best of his abilities. Ayers, who once attended Julliard, is plagued with mental illness and Lopez has a past of letting people down, especially, his ex-wife, (Catherine Keener). This combination makes for a challenging friendship and hence, creates a movie that is more hopeful than happy.
The character’s personal issues aren’t the only problems this movie has. The movie dragged, possibly, due to the fact the author of the story is Lopez himself, with it being his life experience it seems he tried to include too many of the details. The acting is good, but not great. Lastly, the movie is appropriately rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some drug use and language.
Due to the slow pace of the movie I wouldn’t recommend it for family night. Instead, take a look at one of my favorite, happy ending true stories: The Rookie with Dennis Quaid, The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith or Invincible with Mark Wahlberg.
R.A.N.’s Rating For The Soloist = ** ½ Walk Quickly To This Movie.
R.A.N.’s Rating System:
*****RACE To This Movie = Amazing/Oscar Worthy
****RUN To This Movie = Great
***JOG To This Movie = Good
**WALK To This Movie = So-So
*SKIP Past This Movie = Bad
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