The Soloist

Dave and I rented a few movies on Sunday night because our Netflix selections weren't doing anything for us at the time. We got Coraline, The Soloist, and A Haunting in CT.

Coraline: I thought this was going to be a cute Pixar-ish kids' movie. Not so much. It was dark, presumably like Corpse Bride or Nightmare before Christmas - I've never seen either so I am guessing. It is a classic tale of someone thinking the grass is greener on the other side, wrapped up in a little pink bow. But in this case, the grass was no so green...more like red, with flames, and pitchforks. Get my drift? Never take for granted the lot you've been given in life - even if it is drab and your parents write articles about plants for a living.

The Soloist: Great film - based on the true story of a relationship between a homeless man, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (the character repeatedly spelled his name, like they do on "Intervention"), and a reporter who writes a series of columns about Ayers' life. You guessed it, they develop a relationship deeper than either expected, and the reporter, Steven Lopez, inadvertently oversteps his bounds while trying to get Ayers back on his feet. The film doesn't focus on which mental illness Ayers suffers from, but does it really matter? He had the talent and perseverance to go to Juilliard, but his music education was cut short by his inability to cope with or manage his illness. He chooses to live outside where he can hear the sounds of the city, and I get the impression those sounds drown out the many overlapping, overbearing, and overpowering voices in his head. They comfort, threaten, and warn him - and his only peace comes from the works of Beethoven...he closes his eyes, listens to the symphony and everything else goes silent.

Haven't watched the 3rd movie yet, but we better watch it tomorrow - $1 every day you don't return it.