Movie Reviews

Get to 'The Last Station' on time

Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer in Oscar-nominated performances.
(Sony Pictures Classics)

The Last Station

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Running time: 112 minutes

MPAA rating: R (adult situations, nudity)

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"The Last Station"

Even though "The Last Station" chronicles the final tumultuous year in the life of great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, it wouldn't have surprised me to see Woody Allen pop out from behind a tree for a comic philosophical discussion about "Love and Death."

Adapted for the screen and directed by Michael Hoffman, who took on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1999, "The Last Station" combines history with the slightest hint of cinematic comic frolic.  And he has two very good actors in key roles.

Christopher Plummer, recently on screen as the immortal and forever miserable title character in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," takes on Tolstoy in his final year of creativity and life in 1910.

Arguably the biggest celebrity in the world at the time, Tolstoy is caught in a personal battle of war and peace.  The Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), his wife of 48 years, is devastated by the news that her husband is thinking of changing his will.

Tolstoy' s devious disciple Vladimir Chertkov (a leering Paul Giamatti) is urging the great writer to commit to what might be referred to in a few decades as the Jonas Salk.  In other words, Chertkov strongly lobbies Tolstoy to sign over the rights to his life of writing to the Russian people.

When the Countess finds out, the first cold war erupts in Tolstoy's inner circle.

Hoffman sets the stage exquisetly when it comes to capturing a family bond so powerful that the mere notion of breaking it can send an aged revered writer fleeing his own home in the middle of the night.

This may be personal preference, but I'm bothered when movies taking place in a foreign land are played out by actors speaking English.  This case is extra puzzling because some banners on display during an outdoor celebration bear Russian words, yet the principals speak English.

On the other hand, Plummer and Mirren are joys to behold in this historical drama (shot in the German countryside, not Russia) that erupts with situational comedy.  In fact, they are both up for Academy Awards for their efforts.

For a reason I can't quite fathom, Plummer's Tolstoy draws a supporting actor nod.

Mirren, an Academy Award winner for her title role in "The Queen" (2006) and a best actress nominee for this performance, chews the scenery at times  like a TV soap opera star in a lingering death-bed scene.  Somehow, she still makes it appear cutting-edge marvelous.

Giamatti and James McAvoy have less to do, but are fine as well.  McAvoy ("Wanted," "Atonement") plays Tolstoy's secretary in way over his head in matters of family loyalty and love.

Beautifully staged, "The Last Station" diligently seeks peace in a warring household of wills, both on paper and of the mind.

'Young Vic' intriguing, but not memorable

 

Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria.  (GK Films)

The Young Victoria

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Running time: 100 minutes

MPAA rating: PG (mild sensuality, violence, smoking)

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"The Young Victoria"

The really special, memorable historical dramas covering ascension to the British throne offer more than just elaborate costumes, pomp and circumstance and powdered wigs.

"The Young Victoria," for instance, ups the ante with sly, intriguing political maneuvers, royal family infighting and budding love.

While it falls a little shy of the truly greats like Helen Mirren's Academy Award-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II ("The Queen") in 2006 or Cate Blanchett's two Oscar nominations for portraying the first Elizabeth ("Elizabeth" and the sequel), "The Young Victoria" isn't exactly a cinematic First Lady in Waiting.

Emily Blunt was nominated for a Golden Globe Award earlier this week for this title performance.  On the verge of her 18th birthday and imminent domain of the British throne once her bombastic, heavy drinking uncle, King William (Jim Broadbent), passes, young Victoria has grown up in torment.

Her father died when she was young.  Victoria's overbearing mother, The Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), under the harsh influence of her desperately ambitious adviser Conroy (Mark Strong), tries to give her daughter the royal flush.

Why the rush to become queen?  Why not let Mommy not-so-dearest rule for a while until Victoria's ready?

Blunt, also nominated for a Golden Globe award for her agitated work opposite Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" in 2006, goes regal and generally calm in this outing.  

It works.  But watching "Young Victoria" unfold on screen, I couldn't help wonder why ascension-to-the-U.S. throne dramas never captivate like our British counterparts.  True, Josh Brolin's George Bush didn't get to put on a fancy red robe or a crown in Oliver Stone's "W." last year.  He did get to sit in the  big chair, so to speak, though.

I think it's something else.  Americans, and this includes our filmmakers, are too "cool" to show the human side of our leaders.  Oh, we're quick to lampoon as Stone does with "W."  But that's different.  With an intriguing script by Academy Award winner Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park"), "Queen Victoria" lets the royal foibles show.

Scheming prime minister Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany) may not be as good for the teen queen as he seems, while scheming cousin Albert (Rupert Friend) of Belgium might just have more to offer than shows upon first meeting.

From this aisle seat, French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, known for the mystical coming-of-age tale "C.R.A.Z.Y." ( 2006), seems like an odd fit for this historical royal romance at first. Vallée's ability to keep the story moving forward with the needed blend of intrigue and romance makes this an enjoyable look back at British history, however.

Just not a truly memorable one.

'Invictus': It's got game, needs more Mandela

Morgan Freeman, left, and Matt Damon recreate South African history.  (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Invictus

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Running time: 134 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13 (profanity)

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"Invictus"

Noble and well acted, "Invictus" is the captain of its creative soul.

Perhaps a co-captain was in order.

Surprisingly, to me at least, director Clint Eastwood devotes long periods of valuable screen time focusing on the grunts and dropkicks of rugby while  Morgan Freeman, as revered South African leader Nelson Mandela, wagers a case of wine with his New Zealand counterpart up in the stands.

"Invictus" is a good film.  In fact, it excels at times.  It barely scratches the surface when it comes to fertile Mandela history, however.  After all, this is the man who spent 27 years in prison for opposing apartheid.

When he was elected president a few years later in 1994, Mandela worked tirelessly to unite a bitterly divided country. He didn't just fight to soothe the ravaged souls of the overwhelming black majority, either.   Mandela forgave the whites, who locked him away for the best years of his life.

From this aisle seat, I just didn't expect Eastwood to use the weary Big Game crutch to tell this story.  While heartfelt, it  lacks character depth.  Expect to learn as much about the president's body guards as the leader himself, for instance.

Freeman, who has teamed with Eastwood the director twice before ("Million Dollar Baby," "Unforgiven"), has been working to portray Mandela for years.  According to written reports, Freeman favored "A Long Walk to Freedom," Mandela's autobiography.

Eastwood and South African screenwriter Anthony Peckham take the shorter stroll, using a screenplay based on John Carlin's book "Playing the Enemy."  That turns the focus to rugby, a sport arguably less known in this country than soccer.  It also calls for a co-leading man.

Although his South African accent wobbles as much as the ball sailing through the goal posts, Matt Damon ("The Informant!") is believable enough as Francois Pienaar, captain of South Africa's underdog Springboks.  

Mandela's goal is to unite his nation through sport.  So over tea in the presidential office, the South African leader urges Pienaar to win one not for the Gipper, but for a nation that might just come together if things work out right in the World Cup winner's bracket of 1995.

In the most touching moments of "Invictus," Mandela recites lines from William Ernest Henley's poem that inspired the future leader to survive almost three decades of confinement.

"I am the master of my fate:

"I am the captain of my soul."

I can find no fault in Freeman's performance.  The Academy Award winner under Eastwood's tutelage in "Million Dollar Baby" captivates as usual.  That's one of the reasons "Invictus" as it stands is still a worthy effort despite its narrow story focus.

Eastwood, known for working fast -- a take or two will usually do -- and moving on, is to be credited for accurately capturing a key moment in South African sports.  "Invictus" was shot entirely on location in and around the cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa and it shows.

As Eastwood's camera took a bus ride with the rugby team on a day trip to inspire the impoverished local kids, though, I couldn't help wondering what Mandela was up to that day.

Dazed and confused with a backstage pass

Christian McKay channeling a young Orson Welles.  (CinemaNX Films One Ltd.)

Me and Orson Welles

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Running time: 113 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13 (sexual references, smoking)

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"Me and Orson Welles"

When I first saw Richard Linklater's blustery, entertaining "Me and Orson Welles" at the Toronto Film Festival in Sept. 2008, I emerged with two thoughts.

A:  I wonder how many people realize just how daring and inventive Linklater, a Houston native based in Austin, really is as a filmmaker?

And B:  If there's a God in cinematic heaven, this little gem of a show biz period piece will find a distributor.

It took a while, but Linklater's "Let's put on a show!" recreation of the founding days of New York City's fledgling, but innovative Mercury Theater in 1937 finally springs to life for anyone willing to pay the price of admission.

I generally don't like to encourage money spending in this tight economy.  But if you're curious about what was going on in the mind of 22-year-old Orson Welles, or you're a Linklater ("The School of Rock," "Dazed and Confused") fan, or you love backstage comic-dramas, "Me and Orson Welles" is a must-see.

And here's another revelation.  It turns out that Zac Efron, that singing/dancing phenom of "High School Musical" fame and "17 Again" shame (not his fault) can really act.

Efron plays inquisitive 17-year-old Richard Samuels, a kid who can strum a ukulele a little.  Richard gawks his way down Broadway and stops at 41st to see what all the commotion is about.

Welles, portrayed magnificently as a youthful genius-in-the-making by British theater actor Christian McKay, is blustering about; shouting orders, firing people (then hiring them back) and working with his partner, John Houseman (Eddie Marsan), to shake up the New York theater.

Welles' vision of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" is billed as "Caesar:  Death of a Dictator" and will feature Roman senators in Fascist military uniforms.

The best thing about "Me and Orson Welles" is how completely Linklater's production sweeps the audience into the fast-paced backstage and out-front theatrical melodrama.  You'll feel like you can almost smell late 1930s New York, even though this ensemble piece was shot on the Isle of Man and in and around London, including Pinewood Studios.

If there's a drawback, it's that Linklater tries to do too much with the story.  Subplots abound in this blaze of ensemble action with a coming-of-age focus.  Richard, wide-eyed and innocent, falls hard for Welles' assistant, Sonja Jones, played convincingly by Claire Danes.  

Sonja's an "older woman" in this scenario.  The kid doesn't just learn how explosive the mind of a creative genius can be.  He's also blindsided with the  fact that a woman -- especially one with stars in her eyes -- doesn't always follow her heart in matters of love.

It's a shame we don't see more of McKay as Welles, though.  The concert pianist-turned-actor resisted cashing in on his resemblance (uncanny, I think) to a young Welles early in his acting career.  Thank goodness he came to his senses.

McKay, the axle everything turns on here, was in New York performing "Rosebud:  The Lives of Orson Welles" when Linklater was made aware of his dead-on reincarnation of one of the most powerful spirits in film and theater history.

Flying first class with 'Amelia'

Hilary Swank and Richard Gere as pioneers in flight and public relations. 

(Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Amelia

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Running time: 111 minutes

MPAA rating: PG (profanity, mild adult situations, thematic elements, smoking)

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"Amelia"

"Who wants a life imprisoned in safety," cavalier aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart says in the soaring historical adventure "Amelia."

Luckily for director Mira Nair ("Vanity Fair," "Salaam Bombay!"), Academy Award winner Hilary Swank is in the pilot seat as the fearless, free-thinking aviatrix.

Filmmakers forging screen biographies that end in tragedy, whether they profile ill-fated singers Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline or politicians John or Robert Kennedy, know the appeal must be in the journey, not the conclusion.

For the most part, "Amelia" navigates that tricky plot territory well.  Drawing on a couple of Earhart biographies (Susan Butler's "East to the Dawn" and Mary Lovell's "The Sound of Wings"), able screenwriters Ron Bass (an Oscar-winner for "Rain Man") and Anna Hamilton Phelan ("Gorillas in the Mist") hone in on 10 key years in the unbridled adventurer's life.

Many who take their seats for "Amelia" will already know, of course, that Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic (as a disgruntled passenger) in 1928.  Who doesn't know that the daring aviatrix perished in the summer of 1937 trying to become the first woman to fly around the world.  

What you might not know, however, is the freedom-at-all-costs woman who had three great loves in her life.  If "Amelia" unveils the true Earhart, husband George Putnam (Richard Gere) and lover Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor) both had to line up behind Earhart's sense of freedom and adventure.

This is the Amelia Earhart that Swank reveals so well  in layers.  That's nothing new for the actress known for diving far enough into her characters to reveal the intimacies of a stranger's soul.

Twice Swank has walked away from the Academy Awards ceremony with a Best Actress golden statuette in hand for doing just that; as Brandon Teena in "Boys Don't Dry" (1999) and as a determined boxer in Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby" (2005).

She could very well put herself in the Oscar race again as this woman of tremendous spunk and courage, but also one who's a little goofy at times and foolishly in love with humanity.

Gere, toned down a little by Nair, is a good choice to portray Earhart's dream weaver.  Putnam, a pioneer himself, can be thanked -- if you're so inclined -- for navigating uncharted promotional and public relation waters.

Amelia was the daring one flying the plane.  But it was Putnam who came up with clever product endorsements and speaking tours to finance his wife's itch to explore above the clouds.

McGregor seemed oddly cast as "the other man" to me at first.  Thankfully, the Scottish actor of the "Star Wars" prequels and "Trainspotting" fame dispelled any concern by diving into his character as well.

If there's any disappointment in this lavish production, it's the unavoidable letdown when fate and history step in to spoil the party.

Tautou goes Chanel surfing

Audrey Tautou as "Coco" Chanel. 

(Sony Pictures Classics)

Coco Before Chanel

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Running time: 110 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13 (adult situations, smoking)

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"Coco Before Chanel"

Like a generous splash of Chanel Nº 5 perfume, "Coco Before Chanel" makes its presence known distinctively and in a hurry.

Audrey Tautou, the French actress who propelled "Amélie" to a foreign film Academy Award nomination in 2001, takes on the title role of legendary French couturier Coco Chanel.

Director and co-writer Anne Fontaine, responsible for the recent flighty comic-drama "The Girl from Monaco," gives her audience a poignant whiff of what's to come.  A fetching 20th century period piece, it reveals how a young French girl dropped off at a convent by her own father grew to become the "Coco" Chanel the fashion world knew until her death in 1971.

"Coco Before Chanel," in French with subtitles, is playful at times.  How could it not be with Fontaine in the director's chair?

Mostly, however, it tells the emotional story of a determined young waif.  Chanel sings a bouncy song about a little lost doggie named Coco (thus her nickname) to drunken soldiers early in the 20th century.  Of course she goes on to make a name for herself in clothes, hats and being a woman on her own terms.

The screenplay, co-written by  Camille Fontaine (no relation to the director), is "freely adapted" from the book "L'irrégulière by Edmonde Charles-Roux.

The version that lights up a movie screen is a starring vehicle for Tautou.  But it also ferrets out the tough times (desperate financial conditions, succumbing to the notion of being a "kept woman," if you will) that forged Chanel's independent, fearless nature.

Tautou doesn't quite manage to fully disappear under the skin of a French legend like Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard did as Edith Piaf in "La vie en rose" (2007).  She comes close enough, however, in a totally different life journey than that of Piaf.

Those unfamiliar with Chanel's story are likely to be a little surprised how much influence two wealthy men had on the formation of Chanel's persona over the years.

Étienne Balsan (Belgium's Benoȋt Poelvoorde), a rich race horse owner, emerges as the mentor who takes Chanel in.  It is "Boy" Capel (Alessandro Nivola), a wealthy coal baron, who wins the talented young hat-maker's heart, though.

Exquisitely captured on film by director of photography Christophe Beaucarne (also behind the camera for the recent "Paris"), "Coco Before Chanel" takes us from Chanel's youthful Sundays waiting for her father to return to the convent for her all the way to Coco we know.

Coco (and Tautou) glow as the successful designer takes her place on her famous stairway while Chanel's models parade her fashion line.

It is a rewarding, if emotionally draining, journey.

Blowing the whistle on a distracting soundtrack

Matt Damon gained 30 pounds to portray Mark Whitacre.  (Warner Bros.)

The Informant!

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Running time: 108 minutes

MPAA rating: R (harsh profanity)

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"The Informant!"

"The Informant!" opens with the chatterbox biochemist played by Matt Damon preaching the virtues of corn.

It's too subtle a warning, however, that director Steven Soderbergh will wait until at least halfway through to reveal his corn pone approach to a dramatic story.

While the idea of a corporate whistle blower eager to help the FBI fascinates throughout, "The Informant!" veers off the tonal path in the name of finding a unique niche. 

 

Soderbergh, an Oscar winner for directing "Traffic" in 2000, appears to want to avoid the dramatic tone of "A Beautiful Mind," the bio-drama starring Russell Crowe, or even anything remotely of like confused mind.

So Damon, who put on 30 pounds and a mustache to portray real-life whistle blower Mark Whitacre, mutters under his breath about everything from neckties to polar bears.

It's not until Soderbergh allows his lead actor to ease an itch under his character's toupee that he truly reveals a playful nature to match the bouncy soundtrack.  Up until that moment, it's as if Woody Allen's "Bananas" soundtrack is being used as temp music for a dramatic story that will change some lives.

Based on Kurt Eichenwald's book "The Informant (A True Story)," Scott Z. Burns' screenplay peels away layers of Whitacre's mental facade as the vice president of agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland turns government informant.  There's price fixing going on, by golly, and Whitacre would rather wear a wire for the FBI than see his company (not to mention global partners) bilk the good citizens out of millions of dollars.

If you want to enjoy "The Informant!" as a corporate mystery that'll slowly reveal the bad apples as it bounces along merrily and musically, please skip the next paragraph.

From this aisle seat, I think it's more fun to know that Whitacre is a major manipulator from the get-go.

That said, just know that Damon, who finally gets to do some real acting outside the confinement of those "Bourne" action-thrillers, makes a competent corporate chameleon.

I also like Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap") as constantly baffled FBI Agent Brian Shepard.  And Melanie Lynskey (Stalker Rose on TV's "Two and a Half Men") adds mystery spice as Ginger, Whitacre's supportive (and compliant?) wife.

We can always count on Soderbergh ("Che," the "Ocean's" franchise driving force along with buddy George Clooney) to bring something offbeat and often daring to the movie screen.

"The Informant!" has its plot, dialogue and acting in the right place.  For the first half, at least, the unnecessarily goofy music just took me completely out of the story.

Heavy metal, heavier heartache

 

Steve "Lips" Kudlow following his dream.  (Metal On Metal Productions Inc.)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

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Running time: 85 minutes

No MPAA rating: (profanity, adult situations, nudity, drugs)

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"Anvil!  The Story of Anvil"

The really good rock 'n' roll documentaries, like Martin Scorsese's "Shine A Light" of last year, showcase the musicians and give the audience a little backstage peek or two. 

Mick Jagger driving Scorsese crazy by not providing a song lineup until just before show time is the kind of "personal" stuff we usually get.

A truly great rock 'n' roll documentary needs to reveal more than just the flash and dash and close-ups of rock stars performing into the glaring spotlights as thousands of hypnotized devotees worship their idols wildly.

"Anvil!  The Story of Anvil" is not just a documentary that digs deeper.  This astonishing, truly magical look at the band fame snubbed isn't merely a documentary like that.

 

It is THE documentary like that. 

 

"Anvil" slams your heart hard and asks for nothing, with the possible exception of a couple hours of your time.  

Is it worth it?  "Anvil!" rates above even the phrase "must see."

Director Sacha Gervasi, who left home at 16 in the early '80s to serve as a roadie for the band he adored then and now, has managed the near-impossible.  This is an extremely intimate portrait of rock music's long and winding road that's full of detours, pot holes and tough-as-nails honesty.

If you've never heard of the heavy metal band that formed in a Toronto basement in 1973, that's just the point.  You don't have to love or even like heavy metal music to appreciate what's happening here.

 

School friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow (guitar) and drummer Robb Reiner started rocking together in Reiner's basement when they were 14.  By all accounts, "Anvil" out-rocked the big boys (Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, The Scorpions) at a sold-out stadium show in 1984.

But as someone says as this very personal tale unfolds of two guys who made a pact back in that neighborhood basement to keep rockin' until they're old, "Sometimes life deals you a tough deck."

Fate forgot one little thing, though:

These heavy metal jokers are wild.

Jones tackles feelings of vintage game

 

Tommy Lee Jones recalls playing offensive tackle for Harvard. (Kino International)

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

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Running time: 105 minutes
No MPAA rating: (profanity)

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"Harvard Beats Yale 29-29"

There's a gripping fascination that locks in when Tommy Lee Jones speaks on a movie screen.  We've seen his powerful screen presence over and over in stunning performances.  Most recently in "No Country for Old Men" and "In the Valley of Elah."

Jones, San Antonio's Academy Award winner-in residence, brings something we haven't seen to the screen in Kevin Rafferty's enthralling documentary titled "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29."

Jones brings himself.

I'm not sure how Rafferty got Jones to open up like this, but his verbiage about playing offensive tackle for Harvard in late November, 1968 against the favored Yale team is about as good as documentary monologues get.

On the down side, Jones is joined on screen by others recalling the game.  All pale in comparison to the crisply eloquent Jones.  Some are downright boring; talking heads that the filmmaker should have trimmed back a bit.

The subject matter couldn't be richer as discussion fodder, though.  Yale and Harvard are undefeated for the first time since 1909 as they kick it off in Harvard Stadium.

Yale's quarterback, Brian Dowling, hasn't lost a game since the 7th grade.  His halfback, Calvin Hill, will soon be headed to the Dallas Cowboys and future Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep is probably somewhere in the stands.  She was dating the Yale fullback at the time.

Al Gore's roomie Jones and the rest of the Harvard teams hangs tough.  The result is a college football game for the ages, and an often-fascinating look back by those involved.  Rafferty ("The Atomic Cafe") does a fine job of injecting vintage game footage to heighten the tension.

Jones, speaking in his familiar matter-of-fact manner, sums up his inner-emotions perfectly when he talks about taking of his "hat" after the final whistle blows.

"Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" isn't for everyone, just those who enjoy reality cinema that truly mines the soul.

Strained Man

 

The journalist (Robert Downey Jr.), left, and the homeless former musical prodigy (Jamie Foxx) get to know each other. (DW Studios LLC/Universal Studios)

The Soloist

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Running time: 127 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13 (profanity, thematic elements, drugs)

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"The Soloist"

There are two ways to transform real-life characters into big-screen drama.

The filmmaker can greatly embellish, turning true grit into an enlightening, but entertaining night of movie drama.

Or, as director Joe Wright does with "The Soloist," the story can be played close to the story-arc vest.

Although well acted by Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Oscar nominee Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder," "Iron Man"), "The Soloist" orchestrates a one-note drama and a longsuffering, explosive tone sure to have moviegoers squirming in their seats.

Screenwriter Susannah Grant, herself an Academy Award nominee for "Erin Brockovich," opts for reality over entertainment.  From this aisle seat, that exposes an odd couple friendship forged as a nightmare-like roller coaster ride of two unlikely friends united primarily by demons.

Steve Lopez (Downey), a Los Angeles Times metro columnist haunted by deadlines, a busted marriage and, in the early going at least, a busted face (due to a bicycle spill), happens upon a homeless man playing a violin.  The violin is down to two strings.  Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), who keeps his over-stuffed grocery cart within arm's reach, has been mugged 14 times hanging onto it.

Truthfully, there must be around 90,000 homeless person stories in L.A. because that's how many lost souls wander the Skid Row streets once the sun sets below the palm trees.

Lopez is enchanted by Ayers once he picks up through Nathaniel's rapid chatter babble something about attending Juilliard as a music prodigy back in his youth.

What works best about "The Soloist" is the tightening bond between two very different men and how their relationship changes them both.  I like the way Wright, who also called the shots on "Atonement," maintains an equally tormented tone between two driven men.  Neither is likely to improve much.  Nathaniel will have nothing to do with medication that could help his sometimes violent mental condition.

Lopez fights his own demons (the shaky, volatile state of the newspaper), while constantly battling to "fix" someone probably destined to play his beloved Beethoven concertos in a traffic tunnel instead of a concert hall no matter what.

I can't put my finger on exactly why this happened to me, but there's something about this tale of raging emotional bulls that never quite pulled me fully into the story.  Foxx and Downey are two of my favorite actors.  Even so, I saw actors at work here much of the time instead of original characters on the screen.

And something else:  You need to know that this will not be two hours of lighthearted "Rain Man" (1988) entertainment.  Though Nathaniel rattles on verbally much like Dustin Hoffman did winning a best actor Oscar as Raymond, the autistic savant, "The Soloist" never once sugar-coats a serious medical condition to lighten the load with laughs.

The same thing happened in October with "Flash of Genius."  Greg  Kinnear did everything right as Bob Kearns, the inventor who took on Detroit automakers for stealing his intermittent windshield wiper invention.  That one stuck basically to the desolate facts and suffered at the box office for keeping reality real.

Sometimes, sad stories are simply that:  sad stories.