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The Soloist

The Soloist

Drama · Music · 2009

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Movie details

The Soloist

“Life has a mind of its own”

2009 Drama · Music 1h 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Soloist?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Joe Wright

Written by

Susannah Grant

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.

Steve Lopez

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Nathaniel Ayers

Catherine Keener

Catherine Keener

Mary Weston

Tom Hollander

Tom Hollander

Graham Claydon

Nelsan Ellis

Nelsan Ellis

David Carter

Michael Bunin

Michael Bunin

Adam Crane

LisaGay Hamilton

LisaGay Hamilton

Jennifer Ayers

Court is in session

Put The Soloist on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.