On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 50/82 |
Kelly Metz |
Downey seemed to phone in his performance, and it seemed like Foxx was desperately trying for another Oscar. I enjoyed the dvd special features showing the real-life duo a lot more than I did the movi |
| 66/169 |
Max Braden |
Nothing surprising here. Robert Downey Jr. and Foxx are good as always. For a double header rent Immortal Beloved. |
The Soloist is a follow-up of sorts for Jamie Foxx; after winning an Oscar in 2005 for his widely-acclaimed role in Ray, he will star in The Soloist, another biopic dealing with the troubled life of a fantastically talented musician. The movie is set to come out November 21, 2008, and is directed by Joe Wright, who was behind the camera for 2007's Atonement. Co-starring with Foxx is Robert Downey Jr., in what will be his third major role of 2008 (Iron Man and Tropic Thunder being the other two). Whether Downey Jr. will bring any additional cachet to this film after the astounding success of Iron Man remains to be seen.
The story is based on the written work of journalist Steve Lopez (played in the film by Downey Jr.), and follows the life of Nathanial Ayers, a musician who at one time attended the Julliard music school in New York City before developing schizophrenia and ending up homeless in Los Angeles. Certainly, the portrayal seems right in Foxx's wheelhouse, and it will be interesting to see how it is received, and to what extent the film is compared with Ray. Given its release date and pedigree, the movie certainly seems to be aiming for award season; given its mainstream cast, it has a decent shot at commercial success as well. (Calvin Trager/BOP)
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