The Soloist: 2009 A self made man. An American

Director: Joe Wright

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey, Jr., Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, Lisa Gay Hamilton

The Soloist is about the real-life musical prodigy Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, who dropped out of Julliard and society after experiencing mental/emotional problems and became a homeless musician. Journalist Steve Lopez discovers Nathaniel playing his violin on the streets. A unique friendship is formed, and a film is made.

The film is set on Los Angeles streets, that are home to over 90,000 adults. The warm weather makes Los Angeles ideal for those who live on the fringes of society, where food, clothing and a roof over their heads is a luxury that they acquire through various means, often free, as give aways.

The plot is driven by two men, one firmly entrenched as a productive member of society, the other living on the fringes where a good night's sleep is achieved in an indentation on a public sidewalk where blankets and cloth of indistinguishable sorts form his nightly spot of repose.

The men meet serendipitously and seem drawn to one another in a human- non understandable way that keeps developing as they each use the other to obtain what they want but never really thought they could get.


Steve Lopez achieves notoriety as a reported replete with the black tie dinner setting to receive a journalism award and Nathan earns more than two strings he needs to complete his violin. He is given a Cello.


Although the men interact in bumpy ways, often lacking in understanding of one another which appears to be a deliberate attempt by the Director to teach the audience how society has no cure for what ails those who "drop out", their friendship, their human good feelings for one another triumphs without sacrificing the integrity of their mutual place in life. There is not a resolution of the drop out coming into the main stream Los Angeles life and this is a relief. it allows the viewer to see a human side to those who in New York are kept invisible. It allows for the homeless to maintain their own humanity/dignity even though they are poor, dirty, smelly and act in ways incomprehensible to those who have the time, money and interest to go to the movies.

The Soloist will follow you unto the streets, have you looking for the invisible people. Maybe in the fullness of time the economy will plummet further but for now, this is the bottom of our economic system.

See it, The Soloist, on Cale TV


Linda Zsies
WBAI Radio