Who's In It: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Stephen Root, Tom Hollander, Rachael Harris
The Basics: Try not to barf over this plot. I know you'll want to but... okay here goes: Robert Downey Jr. is one of those scruffy reporters that I think only exist in movies (he's the same guy as Russell Crowe in State of Play, but slightly less of a pain in the butt) and he befriends a mentally ill homeless guy played by Jamie Foxx with hair that must be seen to be believed. Anyway, Jamie Foxx is also a gifted cellist. Together, they "teach a city to hope again" or whatever the bombastic balloon juice the voiceover guy says in the trailer. And here's why you shouldn't barf: It's not the worst movie in the world.
What's The Deal: And the reason it's not the worst movie in the world is that it tries really hard not to go all I Am Sam on you for as long as possible. The filmmakers are clearly on the side of keeping it as real as they can (since it's a true story) by showing the audience just how brutal it is being homeless and mentally ill at the same time (since neither circumstance is much of a picnic). It also had the good sense to cast Robert Downey Jr., who refuses to be as showy as Foxx, a smart move after Tropic Thunder, which blasted the entire practice of actors playing people with mental illness. The latter, though, is clearly having a great time going inspirationally crazy, in spite of a script that tries to force his character into non-cuddliness.
But Then: It gives in at the end and there's the whole "teaching the world to hope again" blahblahblah and when you take your mom to see it (because this is nothing if not a "take your mom" movie) she will walk out of it and say, "That was so sweet! It was just like that other movie about that poor piano player... what was that called again? The Shining? Was that it? I loved that one too!"
You Know Who's Never A Burden? Catherine Keener, That's Who: She plays Downey Jr.'s editor/ex-wife and watching her in a movie is kind of like listening to a singer you know can cut it live and never miss a note. You can just relax when she's on screen because you know you're not going to be sold something stupid. And yes, I'm actually multitasking and watching American Idol while I write this review, and there are lots of missed notes flying at me right now.
Almost Making Up For The Doofus Ending: The "Lazer Floyd" lights Jamie Foxx sees when he hears music and the two times Downey gets peed on. And Robin Williams isn't in it. Okay, those were spoilers, but the kind that make you want to go, right?