The Soloist plays Friday

Mr. 2008 continues his streak of noteworthy roles with The Soloist. After Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey Jr. returns in the latest drama from Atonement and Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright. As a fictionalized version of L.A. journalist Steve Lopez, Downey befriends Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless classical musician suffering schizophrenia. Jamie Foxx plays Ayres here with sympathy based on a script co-written by Lopez, though the real life musician says he won’t watch the film based on his life. As Lopez’s relationship with Ayers deepens beyond trying to get the big story, he realizes he is more than a reporter. He is this struggling man’s best friend and best chance at seeing his life change for the better. Catherine Keener and Stephen Root co-star. Rated PG-13. (Photo courtesy Dreamworks)