My wife works with this disability and she raved about how accurate this movie portrays this illness. I had my doubts, and am not a big fan of RDJ, but he was really good and Jamie Foxx played another great role!!

Saw a screening of this last night...great music, but other than that I was bored out of my mind. Overall as a movie adaptation, I think it may have done what it had set out to do, it just wasn't the type that pulled me in.

This was a very impressive story. The acting was Academy Award quality for Robert Downing and Jammie Fox. The music was outstanding. The scenes in L.A. of the homeless people was like looking at a Charles Dickens script. Les Miserables also. The timing of this movie couldn't be better. Too bad the critics didn't pick up on that.

Per an ACTUAL advance press preview I attended on Tues 4/21. This 110-minute movie was based on a novel which in turn was based on a true-story. The MAIN reason to go see THE SOLOIST would be to witness compelling performances by both Jamie Foxx and Robert Downer Jr.(RDJ) in a movie with high quality production values - but lacking a coherent central unifying theme. It was as if THE SOLOIST was trying to accomplish too much within a set short amount of time:- 1) was this movie about a schizophrenic musical prodigy? or, 2) about a reporter on the road to personal redemption?, 3) or a commentary on the gargantuan homeless problem/issue in Los Angeles? 4) maybe it was about the healing quality of Beethoven's music? or, 5) rather was it about alcoholism, mental-illness, drug-addiction? THE SOLOIST's failure of a central theme rewarded us a messy tuneless 'masterpiece' with a abysmally mediocre ending. VERDICT: Fans of JF and RDJ - a MUST GO. NOT kids-friendly.

Please, everyone listen. As it says in the descroption: "The Soloist is a biographical drama about real-life musical prodigy Nathaniel Anthony Ayers". This is not an action movie, this is not a movie that will have great digital effects. It is a movie that portrays this man for who he really is. I saw the movie tonight at a special screening, and i enjoyed it. It goes through the whole life story about Nathaniel and his relaionship with L.A. Times reporter Steve Lopez. It is a movie that makes you feel good. I thought Foxx did a tremendous job with the role of Ayers throughout the movie. It shows you the obstacles that one has to go through to achieve a dream and be who he or she is.I suggest you go see this movie. It is a slow paced movie but it is meant to be like that since it is a "biographical drama". Good movie. It is a movie for adults, not kids since they will probably get bored and wouldnt understand what was going on.