The Soloist

I DVR'd this, but I'm not sure why. When it was in theaters I thought it looked like a treachly, predictable movie-of the week. It is all that, but I liked this much more than I expected. Mostly because of Robert Downey Jr. who gives a seemingly effortless portrayal of journalist Steve Lopez. He strikes up an interesting relationship with Neal Ayres Jr (Jamie Foxx). A homeless musician. I think it is impossible to watch the scenes Downey shares with Foxx and no think of the "Full retard" speech from "Tropic Thunder." Foxx is working so hard you can see fumes coming out of his ears. I can't say why, but I found the relationship interesting and stuck with the film to the end. The film touches on social issues like local LA politics, society's treatment of the homeless and the contraction of newspapers. I thought it was notable that Jena Malone has basically a four line cameo. I don't know why she hasn't been more successful, I like her a lot.