The Soloist - Joe Wright

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I am a fan of Joe Wright. I think he's done marvelously at combining that right touch of emotion, style, meaning (and dare I say, "sentimentality") that a film needs to truly move an audience. He's no Stanley Kubrick, but I would place Joe Wright in the realm of arteur.

I just saw "The Soloist." I have to admit that I started tearing up about 20 minutes in, when Mr. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) hands Mr. Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) the cello in the tunnel freeway under downtown L.A. When Nathaniel starts to play, there's that perfect blend of sounds from the instrument and the sounds of the city. It was very real. I was put into a simple scenario that brought me out of my worries and stress. I felt like I was there. All the noise blocked out.

I will say, this film captured perfectly what it's like for me when I see an orchestra play in a concert hall. I loved the frequent "isolation moments" of Nathaniel when he's thinking about music, when he's hearing the music in his head. I loved the "color montage" that occurs when Mr. Lopez takes Nathaniel to see a rehersal at the Disney Concert Hall.

Aside from sound design and great character interaction, I'm still processing the other aspects of the film that made it so deep for me.

Overall, I give it a Netflix 4 stars out 5, and a 8 on a 10 scale.

The Soloist on IMDb.com

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