I just finished watching "The Soloist" it is the touching true story of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a Julliard alum, who becomes homeless on the streets of the Greater Los Angeles with schioprenzia. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times (or LA Times rather). The movie opens up with Steve Lopez and then minutes later into the film, he meets Nathaniel and when he finds out that Nathaniel went to Julliard, he wants to write a column for Nathaniel.
After watching the two hours plus film on the DVD, I can't believe it's the same story. While the book concentrated on the music inside Nathaniel's head and in his fingers, and less on Lopez's home and personal life, the movie did just the opposite. There's a lot more of Lopez than Nathaniel and the opportunity to show more music is lost. The movie drags (A LOT). As the Director says in at least two of the featurettes - which are bonuses - he wants to concentrate on the homeless in LA and the Lamp Center. Sure, but this takes away from Nathaniel. The book is called "The Soloist", not "Homeless in LA". He beats the point to death.
I enjoyed Downey's acting and he takes on some of Lopez's mannerisms. Foxx does a good job of getting the emotion, though he does not look like Nathaniel.
After watching the two hours plus film on the DVD, I can't believe it's the same story. While the book concentrated on the music inside Nathaniel's head and in his fingers, and less on Lopez's home and personal life, the movie did just the opposite. There's a lot more of Lopez than Nathaniel and the opportunity to show more music is lost. The movie drags (A LOT). As the Director says in at least two of the featurettes - which are bonuses - he wants to concentrate on the homeless in LA and the Lamp Center. Sure, but this takes away from Nathaniel. The book is called "The Soloist", not "Homeless in LA". He beats the point to death.
I enjoyed Downey's acting and he takes on some of Lopez's mannerisms. Foxx does a good job of getting the emotion, though he does not look like Nathaniel.
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