SoloistThe soloist : a lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music by Steve Lopez is one of those true stories that seem more astonishing that anything fiction writers can dream up. A journalist befriends a bedraggled street musician and ends up uncovering a story of a life that has gone down a difficult path, and a journey from prodigy to living on the mean streets.

Now a movie brings the story of journalist Steve Lopez and street musician Nathaniel Ayers to the big screen. Its release date is 3 September, and you can check The Soloist web site for more information:

Columnist Steve Lopez (Downey) is at a dead end …  one day, while walking through Los Angeles’ Skid Row, he sees the mysterious bedraggled figure Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx), pouring his soul into a two-stringed violin. At first, Lopez approaches Ayers as just another storyidea in a city of millions. But as he begins to unearth the mystery of how this alternately brilliant and distracted street musician, once a dynamic prodigy headed for fame, wound up living in tunnels and doorways, it sparks an unexpected quest.

The Soloist stars Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr., and is directed by Joe Wright, who also directed Atonement (one of the best movie adaptations of a novel in recent years) .

WIN A TICKET

The kind people at Paramount are giving us some tickets so if you’re keen to see this on the big screen, email us at libwebteam@ccc.govt.nz with your name and contact details, and tell us what’s your favourite book, song, line of poetry, or movie about the power of music? Get creative! Coleridge’s poem The Aeolian harp talks about a “soft floating witchery of sound”, Jefferson Starship “built this city on rock and roll” …

  • I loved the theme of August Rush and I sense this film has some similarities? Max
  • My favourite movie about the power of music is definitely The Pianist. Vladek Szpilman was a famous pianist who survived the Holocaust in WWII thanks to luck, friends and music. Michelle
  • My favourite movie about the power of music would have to be the Irish musical movie Once.  It shows you how music can bring people together and change their lives.  The fact that the actors are actually musicians is even better as they are so passionate about music and convey this in the movie.  One particular scene where they are in the music shop and both playing the song and singing together is amazing.  I think there is a shortage of this type of movie and somebody needs to get out there and write more. Zac
  • My favourite movie, which may be showing my age is Fame, great story, music made you want to put your leg warmers on and leotard, showed if you have the music and talant in you you can over turn adversity. Christine

Editor’s note: The competition is now closed and Max, Michelle, Zac and Christine have all scored a double pass to The Soloist. Enjoy.

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