the soloist have all ingredient to impress the academy . it director and joe wright and have already author a best picture candidate . the lead actor and robert downey jr. and star in a widely praise superhero film . finally and the movie itself be a drama . when it be mysteriously pull from release in late 2008 and filmgoers and critic be baffle . now that i have see it and i assure you universal do not just delay this film to promote iron man oscar buzz . the soloist be a weak drama with no external conflict that be vastly inferior to any 2009 best picture candidate . downey and co star jamie fox aren not to be blame for this mishap . joe wright be largely at fault but even he can not save a lifetime story . many movie be too complex and alienate viewer . this one be unusually simple . it a movie about a newspaper reporter and steve lopez ( downey ) and who befriend a homeless musician and nathaniel ayers ( jamie fox ) . that it . ayers be schizophrenic and doesn not resonate with lopez traditional approach to friendship . the two become friend . they begin this movie a acquaintance and be bffs by it end . tension consist of moment like this represent will ayers let lopez take him to the homeless shelter . this material would have be well suit a a made for tv production rather than a feature film . wright include many scene of cheap humor to obscure the lack of content . lopez battle yard defile raccoon in what i consider a sub plot . do you remember when this happen in atonement or pride and prejudice . those film be structure enough to permit an occasional joke but nothing so prolonged . ayers back story be flesh out when it doesn not need to be . bad of all and these scene be not connect and appear at random interval . it a way of admit that the main story carry little appeal . nathaniel be a violin prodigy with a tough upbringing ( i be too ) . this be a fabricated attempt to create sympathy with ayers when most of u already have it . he a homeless schizophrenic for cry out loud . the movie somewhat conveys humanity love for music and like amadeus and beethoven life upstairs . it isn not as effective a either of those picture and however . the entire film be hinge on ayers schizophrenia . it ultimately be how he interact with everyone else . his be a musician be a nice touch but hardly worth include . the film doesn not incorporate this characteristic fully into his persona . take music out of amadeus or beethoven life upstairs and and no film remain . the soloist be more about friendship in general than music . nathaniel could be a writer or film critic and few line of dialog would need to be seriously alter . this be only joe wright third film and and his first that isn not a romance star keira knightley . let hope this film isn not an indication of how limited his ability be . there be stylistic nod to his early work but the soloist be much weak than either of them . in his defense and universal should not have agree to widely release this picture . this film seem tailor for imagine entertainment ( distributor of changeling ) . i wouldn not be so disappointed with it if have a limited release . it poor box office performance may inhibit good drama from be distribute nationally .