Project-Blu The Soloist, by M. Enois Duarte

The Soloist

By: M. Enois Duarte, 7.31.2009

The Movie Itself:
I still remember reading some of the articles Steve Lopez wrote about his friendship with a homeless man. I didn't read them all --- I missed a couple here and there. But from what I recall, the man named Nathaniel Ayers could be seen playing a two-string violin in the streets of Los Angeles. What really caught my attention, as did all Angelinos, was the fact that no ever noticed Nathaniel, even though he walked the streets with a shopping cart, playing a useless violin, and wearing a bright yellow reflective vest. To top it all off, he was once a gifted student at Julliard.

After a serious bicycle accident sends him to the hospital, Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), L.A. Times columnist, has difficulty finding his next story. Sometime later, Lopez bumps into Nathanial Ayers (Jaime Foxx) at a park. Discovering that Nathaniel was once a musical prodigy who dropped out of the Julliard School, Lopez takes interest and decides to write about him. Struggling with schizophrenia and showing a deep passion for music, his columns become an advocate of the homeless population, as well as the growth of an unusual friendship.

Lopez's articles brought some much needed attention to the limited resources provided for people living in the streets, most of which battle with some form of mental illness. The film was inspired by these stories and makes for a compelling drama about two lonely men in need of a companion. And it's a moving story to be sure. But something was lost in the translation from reality to celluloid, because much of the emotional impact felt in reading Lopez's articles is greatly lacking in Joe Wright's film. The heart is there, but much like Lopez himself, it just doesn't know how to deal with it.

It seems as if Susannah Grant's script wanted to relate everything in the friendship of the two men, while secretly desiring to be an advocate for homelessness. Instead, the story is so jammed packed with information that it's sometimes difficult to maintain focus on the real story. A few subplots make their way into the film and add little difference to our main focus. We're supposed to be watching the development of a mutual respect of two men from vastly different perspectives in life, but images of the newspaper's financial problems and Lopez's failed relationship with his ex-wife are more of a distraction than a complement.

Still, the film is beautifully photographed and boasting Oscar-contending performances from Downey and Foxx. Despite the meandering script, Downey is convincing as a man who finds redemption and motivation in the most unlikely place. And lacking the emotional heft you'd expect from an inspirational drama is easily overlooked by Foxx's disarming portrayal of Ayers, where the actor is easily lost in the role and provides the film with poignant weight. The outstanding effort of these fine actors gives The Soloist a genuine source of sympathy, compassion, and sincerity. More so, than in its telling of an unexpected friendship.
Rating: 7/10

The Presentation:
Paramount Home Entertainment releases The Soloist with a solid and lovely AVC-encoded transfer in its original 2.35:1 window. Seamus McGarvey's warm, film-like photography is beautifully captured on Blu-ray and can at times look stunningly appealing.

Exhibiting a sharp and clean encode throughout, colors are resounding and vivid, with secondary hues showing rich and accurate saturation. The picture is crisply bright to represent Los Angeles weather and displays a great deal of clarity, allowing for far distant objects to be clearly perceptible. Complexions expose remarkable facial texture and natural flesh tones in the faces of actors. Details are at times extraordinarily distinct and resolute, creating a wonderfully picturesque quality to the film, especially in daylight sequences, but there were a few times when the picture suddenly softened up slightly, maybe even negligibly so. Black levels are a bit of a question mark, because they appear substantially deep in scenes that take place during the day, both interior and exterior, and add some great dimension to the image. But at nighttime, the levels don't come off as strong, particularly those which take place indoors, where shadows tend to obscure some background info. Other than that, The Soloist looks great on Blu-ray.
Rating: 8.8/10

Arriving with a welcoming and spacious sound design, the Dolby TrueHD lossless track is the equal of the film's picture quality. Despite being a front-heavy presentation, the mix is subtle and enriching, showing appreciable complexity with character interaction remaining intelligibly crisp. A great frontal presence feels convincingly wide and expansive, with a smoothly sharp high- end and a very broad mid-range. Dario Marianelli's original score fills the soundstage with amazing clarity in the instrumentation and surrounds the listening area beautifully. Other musical numbers are superbly well-rendered with the same kind of crystal clear definition in the orchestra, immersing the audience with a gorgeous audio quality. Rear activity is used only when appropriate for ambiance, enhancing the soundfield and filling the room with the sounds of L.A. streets. Pans are surprisingly gratifying, with enjoyable channel separation and directionality. Overall, it's more than expected and a terrific presentation for a film about the love of music.
Rating: 8.6/10

Overall Presentation: 9/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
Paramount offers a decent package of supplements, some of which are exclusive to this Blu-ray edition of The Soloist, and presented in high definition (except where noted).

Audio Commentary
Director Joe Wright offers some insights on the film and choices made during filming.
An Unlikely Friendship: Making The Soloist (20 min)
Interviews cast and crew about the production and the desire to tell the story with respect.
Kindness, Courtesy, and Respect: Mr. Ayers + Mr. Lopez (5 min)
A sit down with Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers discussing their relationship and the film.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Addressing Homelessness in Los Angeles (10 min)
A look at a serious problem in L.A. with the realities of the Skid Row district and its inhabitants.
Julliard: The Education of Nathaniel Ayers (4 min)
With a concern for the preservation of the arts, it examines Nathaniel's time at the Julliard School.
Beth's Story (2 min)
A somber animated short that functions as a public service announcement.
Deleted Scene (SD, 10 min)
Five scenes which did not make it into the final cut are preserved here.
Theatrical Trailer
The original preview is included on the disc.

Rating: 4/10

Final Thoughts:
The Soloist makes for a great-looking film with outstanding performances from its two male leads, but lacks the focus necessary for being the compelling and inspirational drama it aspires to be. Nonetheless, the film is easy to watch and very entertaining. The Blu-ray edition arrives with a terrific A/V presentation and a decent amount of bonus material. This is recommended for anyone in the mood for a well-made drama.
Rating: 7/10