“The Soloist”, based on a true story, stars Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers the former Julliard student, now suffering from a mental handicap, but has maintained his musical talents years later. Robert Downey Jr. is Steve Lopez a Los Angeles Times columnist who meets Nathaniel and is fascinated by his story. Steve not only becomes the writer of Nathaniel’s story, but also his friend. The two have a chance encounter in front f a Beethoven statue. Lopez immediately recognizes how talented Nathaniel is and insists on telling the tale of this immensely talented man who is now homeless.

When the story gets recognition from readers he continues to tell the tale of Nathaniel, along the way providing him with a new cello from one of his readers. He begins to help improve Nathaniel’s life one step at a time. From taking him to an orchestra concert to helping gain his independence by providing him with an apartment. Meanwhile by doing all this he does not realize he is giving Nathaniel the best gift of all, friendship.

Jamie Foxx has an amazing performance that takes center stage. Robert Downey Jr. flawlessly portrays the reporter trying not to get too close, but unable to keep his distance. The pair has great chemistry that is portrayed by the friendship you see between Steve and Nathaniel on screen. The storyline is a beautiful one of hope, passion and dreams. The story is a poignant tale of one man’s ability to get lost in the music. However, the story does lose emotion from the lack of direction by Joe Wright. The film opens you up to the reality of life on the streets and the suffering that is all around us, but there is no true feeling or emotion evoked on screen for these poor soles. With lack of dialogue and multiple scenes filled with music or colorful visualizations of the music we have a much longer run time then needed to make the point. Two great performers lose out because “The Soloist” has the potential to be better than the directed product.