I really wondered what the point of this movie was, and about two-thirds of the way through the light dawned. This is a "message" movie, and the message is a poisonous one.Sometime in the 60's we as a nation became revolted at conditions in our mental institutions, which were indeed horrific and grotesque. This is where society had warehoused everyone whose mental conditions were so extreme that even their own families could not cope with them. Government being what it is, it was never to be expected that these poor souls would get compassionate treatment.So it was decided to grant these individuals their "rights" and release them all to the street. There was supposed to be a wave of neighborhood mental health clinics to look after them; that never transpired. As a result these poor souls now live in the street and often pose a safety risk to others. Jails and prisons are now the front line in dealing with the mentally ill.Unfortunately a whole movement has arisen advocating for the "rights" of these people to live as they are, i.e. as mentally unbalanced people. The sad thing is that, with proper medication, many of these folks could be restored to some semblance of normality.In clearly siding with the "right" of Nathaniel not to be medicated, this movie, in my view, sends a very toxic message whose upshot is that these people should be allowed to live their lives of misery and to continue to pose a threat to - dare I utter the word? - "normal" people. The issue of how we deal with our mentally ill is a complex and thorny one, but I don't think it's useful to maintain that it's just dandy not to treat them.

"The Soloist" from 2009 is based on a true story and stars Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. An LA Times columnist, Steve Lopez (Downey), is in need of a story in 2005, shortly after smashing his face up in a bicycle accident. One day he discovers Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), a homeless man who plays the violin. Steve decides he would make a good story.As he writes his articles, Lopez learns more about Ayers. He has a sister who loves him (LisaGay Hamilton) and is concerned about him; his original instrument was the cello. The stories bring all kinds of attention to the problem of homelessness, to Lopez himself, and to the gifted Ayers, and a cello is actually donated to him. He loves to play his music in the tunnels, doesn't like to be inside, and idolizes Beethoven. In flashbacks, we see bits of his life which appear to be a loving mother and no father, and we see a truck on fire, which was part of his trauma.Nathaniel's plight does a lot for Steve Lopez, and though he is someone who shies away from commitment, he wants to help him. But in reaching out, he experiences the hurt and pain that often comes from dealing with the mentally ill, in this case, schizophrenia.The film asks a few questions: can a person who refuses medication be forced to take it; does every homeless person want to be in a home; and why in such a rich country do we have so many homeless (90,000 in Los Angeles as of 2009).Lopez works to understand the talented Nathaniel, and Nathaniel begins to see him as a true friend. Both are needy people and not particularly trusting. But true freedom comes in facing one's demons.Wonderful film about courage and understanding.

Interesting based on fact film directed by dyslexic British filmmaker Joe Wright. Wright seems like an odd choice for this film considering his success with high caliber romantic and literary movies like "Pride and Prejudice" '05 ~ "Atonement" 07 ~ and "Anna Karenina" '012. Perhaps, the at times uneven style of "The Soloist" harks back to Wright's earlier days as a Video clip director but might also be partly due to Susannah Grant's screenplay. Somewhere between the two, this production has a couple of seemingly disjointed scenes that to some, could seem misplaced. The story is a powerful one, with Jammie Foxx perfectly cast playing the mentally afflicted and volatile Cello prodigy Nathaniel Ayers. Ayers, while living on the mean streets of Los Angeles playing broken down instruments, attracts the interest of L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez - Robert Downey Jr delivers one of his more sincere performances as Lopez. Foxx, who has been known for having some difficulty working with cast members on other projects, works hard at this difficult role and impresses.Italian composer Dario Marianelli is at home with his work on several Beethoven and Bach classics and Irish director of photography Seamus McGarvey (The Hours '02) together with his director delivers a mix of pop art and dramatic images.This is thoughtful film making that offers many inspirational moments - it's strength lies in it's fact based and tormented subject. Recommended viewing and definitely one that has much to offer a wider audience - as well as its insight into the care of the mentally unstable and the impact they bring to family and friends.

The Soloist (2009): Dir: Joe Wright / Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton: Musical drama about two loners whom connect through common ground. Robert Downey Jr. plays a L.A. Times reporter bent on helping a schizophrenic violinist played by Jamie Foxx who doesn't want to be helped. We know where this is headed and despite the presence of two worthy leads, the material is about as old as rocks. Directed by Joe Wright with terrific music and location shots, which is the one positive highlight. Wright previously scored big with the award winning Atonement, which went beyond its actors and involved them in a compelling plot. That is unfortunately not the case here. Downey Jr and Foxx are two terrific talents that do their best to elevate stale material. We can see the outcome to this twenty blocks away from the theatre we are heading to in order to witness this dread. Catherine Keener and Tom Hollander are underused in supporting roles that really play like space fillers. Keener's character is the ex-wife of Downey Jr whom he now works for. The best element of this film is the two leads, which is great since supporting roles are bland. Despite familiarity the film celebrates music, talent and the graceful presence of friendship that invades the solo lifestyle. Whether that saves the film, is an individual choice. Score: 5 / 10