The Soloist
If you happen to pay for Sky Movies, this one is available to watch right now and seen as your paying for it anyway I strongly suggest you do.
This film is a dying breed, which might explain why such a compelling story could have slipped by so unnoticed at the silver screen, even though it stars two incredibly high profile actors in the shape of Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx.
It is a true story of how a journalist, hitting a dry spell and hungry for a story, hears what he feels is beautiful music being played by a homeless man, that is quite clearly some what disturbed. The fact the man can play such music with a broken violin is not quite a story, but with some research, he finds the story he is looking for that plucks the hearts of his readers.
The story does not just focus on how a talented musician comes to be on the streets or even how he has developed some form of mental illness. It is more about how we as people feel the need to fix things even when those 'things' are people. More to the point, that we may try to "fix" these people without even stopping to consider if they believe they need, or want to be fixed.
Not the greatest film you'll ever see, but it doesn't pretend to be. I truly think this must have been a story that all parties involved just felt needed to be told and they tell it well. Slow in places but powerful at times and you will struggle not to shed a tear come the end.
3.6 out of 5ifthbase
Original Article