The Soloist - Homeless Folks Just Seem Crazy

Every time you see a homeless person on the street acting strangely, you might have second thoughts as to how that person reached that destination. The Soloist is an introspective film that delves into the life and times of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a once promising student of the Julliard School of Music. Until meeting LA Times writer Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), Ayers was nothing more than your seemingly odd homeless man ranting off in strange fashions. 

Ayers was what you would call a prodigy in the realm of music. His ability to channel his energy into playing musical instruments like the cello is unlike anything one would ever see. Ayers's musical talent was offset by his slow development in schizophrenia as his mind would unfold in his first year at Julliard. One fateful day arose when Lopez meets Ayers in the street as he performs his musical talents. At first, Lopez wants nothing more than to find a hot new story of the paper, but many of his readers begin to help bring awareness to the fact that being homeless does not equate to not being a human being. Ayers comes off as socially distanced but he becomes coherent as patience is the key to understanding how he thinks. Foxx and Downey Jr. make a complimenting combo of on-screen talent with their range of showing the depth of each character.

The most interesting element of the movie was in the Extras features where you learn about the making of the film. The realism in the world of the homeless is surreal as many extras were true homeless persons. Their ability to convey themselves as normal folks is as simple as their discussing of interests and mental psyche. The elements of The Soloist was somewhat similar to Reign Over Me (Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle) though in a different  frame of mental breakdowns. I recommend this film to anyone looking to learn about the little explored realm of homelessness.