Solitary Man Forever
Unexpected comeback by Michael Douglas making “Solitary Man” an elegant existential drama about choices and consequences of a man like any other. A nice surprise just a little short-circuiting a disappointing conclusion and moralizing.
In recent years, Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) has left more room for his drives at the expense of his reason. If a lot of success with women, his projects often fall into the water because of rash decisions. His life is soon shattered by a new tidal wave. However, its existence seemed solid on rails, it is cornered between his former wife (Susan Sarandon), his daughter (Jenna Fischer), his new girlfriend (Mary Louise Parker) and daughter (Imogen Poot) of the latter. He even found time to give love advice to a student (Jesse Eisenberg) and reconnect with a former sidekick (Danny De Vito). Until the destruction rule …
A feature like “Solitary Man” could only be worn by Michael Douglas. The screenplay by Brian Koppelman was written with the actor in mind and it shows. Kalmen Ben is a gentleman but a little cold, both easy and manipulative, seductive and beguiling. His clothes are still smart, he found the spread to capture all situations, his desires towards women are constant and loneliness awaits his return home. It is thus a compendium of his previous roles, “Fatal Attraction” to “Wonder Boys”, through “Basic Instinct”, “A Perfect Murder”, “Disclosure”, “The Game” and of course “Wall Street”, especially since the action takes place primarily in New York. The actor is like a fish in water, appearing in almost every scene, proving to be the main reason to pay a movie ticket as his game continues on.
Breaking with their previous and forgettable “Knockaround Guys”, directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien offer a fine and intelligent work, which transmits with great sensitivity the defeat of a human being. At the beginning the hero has the right cards to be the king of the Big Apple and a stupid mistake will put to flight. Through a staged studied and verbose that never in the showy, the filmmakers paint a portrait of a man who decides to break his glances to really exist. This involves living with the consequences of his actions, which is not always obvious.
The existential drama never before crashing the honest look, and many touches of humor scattered throughout the narrative. The hardest part has always been to finish a film and this side, the easy way out has been borrowed. Feeling trapped, the former hunter now hunted too much detail explains his torments, which is a tone too preachy.
Yet it is a joy to see as easily navigate Michael Douglas. It takes up so much that it removes a lot of substance to the other characters. All excellent, Susan Sarandon, Mary Louise Parker and Jenna Fischer are just passing, while the presence of very credible Jesse Eisenberg is there to remind the evolution of sawtooth protagonist. Yet at all times simple, alongside faithful friend (on screen as in life everyday) Danny De Vito, that takes Kalmen thickness, dropping his mask surface to show the human he really is. Everything is going too infrequently, which does not always capture their intrinsic motivations.
Despite its few mistakes along the way and final fish tail, “Solitary Man” proves more than a pleasant entertainment. The look will be full of bittersweet tenderness, laughter escapes many regular dialogue and fair and charismatic performance by Michael Douglas recalls that he is not ready for retirement.
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