The Soloist

Since I've become a pretty big Robert Downey Jr. fan (for reasons completely different from Rylee's I'm quite sure! :-D ) I decided to rent this from Red Box the other day. I remember the previews, thinking it looked good, but then a friend told me it stunk so I never watched it.

I'm not sure how this review should really go either so...

Really I initially decided to rent this movie because I wanted to see if RD Jr. stuck to his typical character in this type of movie as well. And well, he totally does. However, it is really interesting, and one of the reasons I REALLY liked this movie - despite some pretty disturbing imagery at times - that it almost seems like this is the way RD Jr. is in real life and this movie exposed some of his weakness behind the cocky, sarcastic facade. Things didn't work out well in ways he wanted them to and he freaked out a little - or a lot. Jamie Foxx's character wasn't malleable like people RD Jr's character is used to dealing with, he didn't fall under the spell of the character's charisma and it shook him a little. He had to dig a little deeper for something innately human and not just a show of confidence or even arrogance. He had to TRULY care about Jamie Foxx's character, for HIM and for no other reason. I found it really honest and expressive and almost real - not like a movie but how I'd think he would react in a real situation like this. I'm not sure I've ever watched a movie where I thought this is SO disturbing yet SO real?!?!?!?! I didn't know if I wanted to love it or hate it and for that very reason I love it. A drama that isn't trite and over-cooked (despite the obvious politicizing of the plight of the homeless in LA), that isn't TRYING to be an Oscar-nominee, that is just a real story told very well by some pretty good actors.

There are parts of this movie where I felt disgusted, where I could see why someone would hate this movie and yet it really made me feel something. I liked that. I give it 4.5 stars just for that. Just for letting me turn this movie off and not think Hollywood has tried to teach me something fake or manufactured. Anyway, give it a shot if you're interested in a drama one of these nights.