Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Back again with the Soloist


I had a wonderful 'Labor Day' celebration with the kids [and grandkids] from the Big City East. I even played a little golf with my son .. key word here is 'little.' Late yesterday afternoon it got really strange - there was a silence, no scampering little feet, no 'may I please' or 'look at me gramps', no baby snoring or crying or laughing ......... just silence!

So me and my beloved decided to watch a movie we've both been wanting to see, 'The Soloist' so I went and rented a copy. Let me give the brief description from the dvd holder first, Academy Award nominee Robert Downy Jr. and Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx star in an extraordinary and inspiring true story of how a chance meeting can change a life. The Soloist tells the poignant and ultimately soaring tale of a Los Angeles newspaper reporter who discovers a brilliant street musician, with unsinkable passion, and the unique friendship and bond that transforms both their lives. The remarkable performances make for an unforgettable experience n what is hailed as 'a courageous and uncompromising film.'
It is rated PG-13 because there is some drug use and language issues. There are only a couple of times where language could definitely be cleaned up, the sad thing is this word is becoming a part of our every day usage.

The theme of the movie is tremendous. It wasn't until nearly the end that it suddenly dawned on me the tremendous impact the street musician was having on the reporter. The movie reminds us that 'true friendship' is that friendship that comes without strings attached, a friendship that is devoid of one friend trying to change another. I was reminded of Jesus admonition 'when you do it to the least of these my brothers, you've done it unto me'
[Matthew 25:40]. Jesus told us that when we free give, not give with the intent to change another, but give from our hearts, that is the friendship he is looking for. I will never again look at a street person, a homeless individual through the same lens. We're told that there are 90,000 homeless people in L.A. alone [this is representative of the bigger problem in our country] - this is a crime against our nation, when so much money is spent on things of so much less value. Well, I'll stop, but there is so much to said about this problem.

It was a good movie, and certainly it will not be a waste of your time to watch it ........... but also
be prepared to be challenged yourself. It was a good date night!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the review. I'll shall try to rent this one for a quiet weekend evening.

    Cheers.

    ReplyDelete