The Soloist, 2009

5-12-09. There is a scene from The Shawshank Redemption where Andy plays opera music over the public address to the entire prison. It is one of the more powerful moments and best uses of music in all of film.There are countless scenes similar to that in The Soloist, which, like The Shawshank Redemption is about friendship above all else. But that one defining moment is absent. I can't say I will remember a specific scene 10 years from now. The wonderful music in The Soloist is worth the admission price alone. The story is based on Steven Lopez's novel The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music. All I had to do was close my eyes and enjoy the art in this film. The story, while compelling as an idea, sluggishly moves along as we follow Lopez's (Robert Downey, Jr.) developing friendship with homeless, Juilliard drop-out and schizophrenic cellist Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx). This needed to offer more than two people inadvertently helping each other. It doesn't. It is still highly entertaining for crowds that appreciate the classical music of Beethoven and Bach. The Soloist paces itself perfectly, even showing a cascade of colors during one stretch of music, forcing the audience to simply absorb. Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) directed The Soloist and understands the culture surrounding high-level music. He pitted Ayers against it and showed the audience why he doesn't fit in, besides just his mental instability. There was something missing to this one though, and I think it's because there isn't really a payoff. The film builds and builds, gets to the crescendo, but doesn't finish. snurl.com/hvj0y

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