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With a soundtrack that any classical music lover can enjoy, The Soloist is an uplifting true story about an unlikely friendship between two men against a backdrop that reflects the darkly grim reality for thousands of homeless in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Times journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) is looking for a new subject for his column when he stumbles across Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a rambling homeless man playing a two-stringed violin in a park dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven.

Through his subsequent investigation, Lopez, who's in the midst of a crumbling newspaper business, learns that Ayers was once a child prodigy who was able to escape his poor existence in Cleveland by becoming a student at Juilliard of Muisc only to lose it all when he developed schizophrenia.

Determined to not let Ayers and his talent go unnoticed, Lopez writes a series of columns about Ayers, provides him with a cello, and takes him to a rehearsal performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Despite his deep desire to somehow fix Ayers, Lopez realizes that he cannot simply wave a baton and make all the notes in Ayers's head suddenly make sense.

Obviously it is early to be talking about Oscar nominations and usually superb performances in April and May are forgotten by year's end. However, what Downey and Foxx are able to accomplish in The Soloist could be an exception to the rule.

Foxx reaches similar acting heights as he did while portraying another real life figure in Ray Charles. His emotional range is far reaching as the unbalanced Ayers and he shares terrific chemistry with Downey, who proves that his comeback is not a fluke.

With the feel of an independent film, The Soloist sheds light on the plight of inner city homelessness by portraying mental illness, drug abuse, prostitution and a myriad of other social ills while maintaining a sense of realism. It should cause public outrage since our government gives away billions of dollars to bail-out billionaires, while inner city issues like homelessness continue on.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, The Soloist receives a B+.

The Soloist is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 117 minutes.

Now Showing
Leawood Theatre
3707 W 95th St., Leawood
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-642-1133 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.

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