The Soloist

Either I'm not emotionally up to Joe Wright, or this is actually his first weak film. A clichéd piece that completely missed me emotionally, with occasional kitsch (pigeons) and two excellent actors. The beautiful cinematography, so typical of the director's previous works, unfortunately took a holiday here. I expect a lot more from Joe Wright. (20.07.2010)

Joe Wright signed his soul over to the Hollywood devil, who sensed his talent across the ocean, and the result is an ordinary tale of an unordinary friendship whose potential (or real-life preview) promised much more. The problem was already on the page, from which clichés and calculations stick out of every letter, and the work of destruction is completed by Wright's poetic direction, which shoots absolute blanks in the case of one brilliant homeless man. The love for music and the neighbor in need is nowhere to be found, only the hunger for awards and the tangible ovation of a touching audience. If it weren't for the central cast's performance, I would have given the film a worse review. (25.07.2009)