Susan Granger

28 April 2013

This enigmatic dramedy is an actor's showcase, if there ever was one, representing a beacon of quality in a summer filled with popcorn pictures.

28 April 2013

Masterful performance

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) "Solitary Man" showcases a masterful performance by Michael Douglas who is supported by an all-star cast including Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito and Mary Louise Parker. Relying on a superb script and refreshingly free of distracting special effects, the movie presents an intimate portrait of life, love and forgiveness. The irony of Mr. Douglas portraying a man who is struggling with the fact of his own mortality gives the film a pathos that could not have been fully appreciated at the time of its production. Mr. Douglas infuses the hedonistic lead character with a kind of swagger and confidence that only he can; drawing our keen interest, if not our sympathies, as a series of poor personal decisions wreaks havoc around him and those he holds most dear. Ending on a note of suspense, I highly recommend "Solitary Man" to everyone who enjoys movies that seek to charm and captivate, not overwhelm, their audiences.

05 April 2013

Compelling character study, but makes for quite a painful watch

I confess that it took me a while to get into this movie, in fact the first half an hour was just too much and my husband had to convince me to continue watching! Michael Douglas has done his fair share of sleazy roles, but his portrayal as aging playboy Ben Kalmen with a penchant for young girls is one of his career's best performances.At the beginning of the movie, Ben is at the top of his game, and thinks his annual physical is just one more thing to cross off his list of things to do - then he receives some startling news about his health that takes viewers six years into the future. Ben is now divorced (from a character played by Susan Sarandon), is financially diminished, yet seems to have retained the affections and loyalty of both his married daughter (played by Jenna Fischer) and his ex-wife. He is also involved in a relationship with a wealthy woman (played by Mary Louise Parker) who has a 19-year-old daughter. When Ben is asked to accompany Parker's daughter to his alma mater (for an interview), things spiral out of control, and Ben finds that his prospects have turned very bleak.This is a story about a despicable character, one which elicits no sympathy (at least not from me), and it was difficult to watch this 60 something year old man bed one young woman after another (though the sex scenes were quite tastefully done and there was nothing explicit or overly salacious, phew!). Initially, I was wondering, "What is the point of this movie? There are people like this, we get it." It was only halfway through that I began to see this movie in a clearer right. It is a compelling character study of a self-destructive character who is battling sex addiction, but refuses to do anything about it. His daughter enables his behavior by lending a sympathetic ear and even giving him financial aid when he is broke and desperate, though even she balks at helping him much later, realizing that he is truly past redemption. Sarandon plays the friendly and sympathetic ex-wife who helps him out, having got her life on track after their divorce. There's Danny Devito who plays the role of a supportive old friend. The acting is well-done on all fronts and that helps elevate this movie above average.Those who don't care for movies where the main character is an emotionally out of whack, self-destructive character might want to steer clear of this one, especially given that the central character is an aging Lothario who hankers after young girls decades younger than him. Those who appreciate compelling character studies might get something out of this, as I did.

04 April 2013

Fabulous character development, kept us interested from start to end

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) Solitary Man is originally the song title of a Johnny Cash tune. It wasn't lost on me that, like Johnny Cash, Michael Douglas' character also began wearing all-black at a certain point in the film. And the color had as much to do with the darkness of the main character's mindset through most of the movie as it did the connection to the song title.The story unfolds as some troubling health news causes Douglas' character to rebel psychologically into a solitude (caused be anything but solitude) that aims to reinvent a piece of who he was in order to "cure" who he thinks he is becoming...and is then forced to explore which piece of him, in reality, is actually better.The character development is fabulous with Douglas playing a very "real" man in rebellion of the inevitable and Susan Sarandon showing realistic traits of an ex-wife to Douglas' character...because she expresses well both a perfect balance of compassion and confusion in the wake left by her formerly loving and successful husband's new life and choices.Douglas played a tough role...because there was an edge about him that was far too cocky, yet it isn't a character you hate. He walked a fine line (yes, that Johnny Cash song title was inserted on purpose!) very well in remaining watchable with splashes of warmth while the viewer also feels cringes of both pity and despise in various scenes as his choices of regaining his youth and power lead him to an unexpected place.Danny DeVito also plays well the part of an old friend who holds up an interesting psychological mirror to Douglas' life at one point in the film where their expectations of each other from youth actually traded places and provided clarity. And Jenna Fischer, from the "Office" also provided the same tale of a an exchange from daughter to guardian of another at one point. In fact, all characters had circles of development.The ending is one that will leave you discussing your take on it and why. And for that, it makes a great movie to watch with others for any movie night with friends.This story of moving both backwards and forward with roller-coaster-sized life bumps was one I'd highly recommend as the acting and character development made this a "two thumbs up" unanimous decision for the 6 person movie night at our home.

Lou Lumenick

28 March 2013

Douglas' juiciest vehicle since Wonder Boys.

ron-965-533962

28 March 2013

Hollywood, like the lead character in this movie deserves Zero Viewers

Hollywood, like the lead character in this movie deserves Zero viewers.Why pay hard earned money to watch a corrupt individual's despicableactions? From the onset of the movie it is clear the man is awomanizer, he shows more attention to a women in the diner that he'sattending with his ex-wife and son, than he does to his flesh and bloodson. I quickly alerted my wife, "the man is a womanizer". And the moviegoes on to explicitly show how low of character the lead is, in aborderline pornographic way. The act that is the climax of the movie isdespicable. I am highly disappointed with the movie "Solitary Man" --it highlights the worst of human nature and it saddens me that millionsof dollars were spent that could have influenced society in a positiveway, but instead lower the bar to the savage level.

28 March 2013

An Amorality Play

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I Timothy 6:9 says"... those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."As with Daniel Plainview in "There will be Blood", Ben Kalmen descends into a similar abyss of depravity and self absorption and thus becomes the "Solitary Man".Brian Koppelman has crafted a Godless, hedonistic world as we focus almost exclusively on the Michael Douglas' character while all the rest of the great ensemble cast remains in orbit around his increasingly darkened sun.Inexplicably the movie is listed as a comedy - though to my mind there is very little to laugh about - in fact I found the story compellingly depressing. The gentlest character is played in an understated way by Danny DeVito as an old college friend turned deli owner who demonstrates genuine, though some might say, undeserved compassion. Another Douglas character, that had similar issues but played comedically was his part in the remake of "The In-Laws"Part of the compelling nature of this movie revolves around the inability of the Douglas character to recognize his own fallibility. He persists in the reckless and dangerous pursuit of pleasure, all the time living in the potential shadow of heart failure. It is the opening scene of the movie that provides the metaphor for the entire film as Ben chooses to ignore a potentially damaging diagnosis of heart disease.In the end the movie is appropriately ambivalent as the screen turns black without us knowing whether Ben Kalmen turns towards home or continues towards his inevitable destruction.The movie is justifiably rated "R" and has an extremely mature theme including a rather graphic sex scene - central to the plot - but distasteful nonetheless. The language and and subject matter are intrinsically adult in nature. That being said, this is a good, if somewhat depressing movie, but worthy of adult viewing.

27 March 2013

ok to miss this

i thought i would like this movie. rolling stone gave it a good review. it was not very good. i found myself thinking that i was wasting my time but i watched it to the end. the characters and situations did not seem realistic. the dialogue was edgy but seemed phony. i took very little away from it. you're better off seeing Secretary or Election or American Beauty. this film is not worth your time. is is disjointed and fairly empty.

Emanuel Levy

24 March 2013

Michael Douglas gives his most accomplished and satisfying peformance in a decade (since Wonder Boys in 2000), playing a role that suits him like a silk glove.

23 March 2013

Okay....

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) I haven't had time to view this movie yet, but with Devito as part of the cast, along with Douglas, this is bound to be at least HALF-way decent...(they both work well together,) and couple that with Sarandon and company, and we're probably talking something along the level of "Ciderhouse Rules"....I'll get back to you when I HAVE seen it!Addendum: Having just viewed the movie, I can say that, though it has all the ingredients for a good little midlife crisis drama, somehow, maybe it's Douglas' performance, maybe it's the way others play against him, it just doesn't have the tragic edge that makes most good midlife crisis movies work. This is not "An Unmarried Woman", or "Fatal Attraction" or "Kramer vs Kramer" or "Fanny and Alexander".... This is Michael Douglas playing a guy going through the ropes of showing us what an inveterate, self-serving yutz his character is! A man who will put it to just about anything friendly in a dress, who takes any job he can get, who turns off his new middle aged, upper-middle class girlfriend to the point where she uses her HUSBAND to get back at him for screwing her daughter! WOW! But we don't get a good sense of any remorse on HIS part...and nobody really seems to be especially disgusted with him, either, except the older girlfriend and his own daughter! Everybody seems so JADED in this movie! Devito's role is little more than a cameo, with Douglas taking up the lion's share of the screen time....Susan Sarandon only has a small part, too.... it's mostly between the Douglas character and his "daughter", for most of the flick.Too bad there couldn't have been just a TOUCH more pathos brought up from somebody's craw in this movie....it all seems such a waste! Yes, Douglas' star definitely seems to be winding down....

A.O. Scott

15 March 2013

A sharp, small-scale comedy of male misbehavior that turns out to be one of this dreary spring's pleasant cinematic surprises.

14 March 2013

Not worth buying, and hardly worth watching

I love Michael Douglas as an actor and he never does a bad job as far as I've seen, but this movie was weak. I hate movies that tell you about a character's crazy history, but in the movie they've already fell from greatness and all you get is what's left of the man at that point. A movie should show some of the history, its just hard to believe or care about a character when all you're going off of is vague details of the character's history. This movie isn't a rise and fall of a character and his empire movie, this is the very end after the fall, where the viewer is like i know this guy is f'd, so what's the point? that's the main issue with the story/script, could have been a better movie, like most movies these days, those days, what was the point? other than to spend roughly 2 hours distracted from reality and absorbed in a fictional story of someone who had it better than you but now has it rough and can't do much to save himself at this point. Its movies like this that could use another movie to show what happened before the very end but then again maybe not.

David Fear

08 March 2013

A truly impressive portrait of self-destructive, smooth-talking alpha males, and a testament to an actor who waltzes across that Peter Pan-syndrome tightrope with the greatest of sleaze.

Anthony Lane

08 March 2013

The role is so tailor-made for Douglas, who has put in years of screen time on the horizontal, that the rest of the story has to fit in around him, leaving scant room for maneuver.

07 March 2013

Superb Drama of Life in the Automobile Business

This is a movie that was really overlooked when released last spring, and only lasted in theaters a few weeks. The dialog is very well written, and the acting is superb. A must-see, and a future classic when it finally gets the recognition it deserves. Should be nominated for best picture next year.

06 March 2013

BRIAN KOPPELMANN and DAVID LEVIEN, OPUS 2

In my opinion, Douglas's performance is his best in years, almost matching up his performance in Joel Schumacher's Falling Down. He's like a bumble-bee always making the wrong decisions when he's with a woman. The light tone of the film can't always hide its darkest undertones. Recommended.

06 March 2013

Starts a little slow, but ultimately rewards

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?) An intelligent intimate movie, a portrait of what happens when one man's charming talent turns destructive. The long list of famous faces on the cover are mostly quick turns, this is all about an engaging, darkly entrancing Michael Douglas in a tour de force performance. It does start a little slow, but it's worthwhile as we peel back layers of Douglas's character. No car chases, no explosions, no set pieces. Rather, one of the fascinating things here is we see how the main character starts to learn about himself, the journey down and how someone who seems to have so much charisma and instinct and insight can fall so fall. Not in one crazy Hollywood leap, but rather again and again against so many people who care for him.It's smart, sophisticated, and definitely worth the time.

gradyharp

05 March 2013

Becoming Invisible. The Crumbling of a Faade

SOLITARY MAN is either a depressing movie or a movie about a depressingsociety - until the film is over and afterthoughts dredge up memoriesof very similar people. Then it simply becomes a Greek tragedy. WriterBrian Koppelman introduces a character that is all charm and façade whobegins to take himself seriously (believing the false front that haslead him to a 'successful' life) after a routine physician's check upreveals an abnormal EKG. Facing the ultimate fragility of life and theinsight that his last years may be approaching more rapidly than heever thought possible, our 'hero' begins a downhill skid and theeffects. It is a march that is sad to watch, but due to the sensitivityof directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien and to the impressiveperformance by Michael Douglas, it stays imprinted on the brain longafter the film's subtle ending fades. Ben Kalman (Michael Douglas) is the person of interest in this story, aman who six years prior to the opening of the film is informed of hismortality, and in the last six years this car dealer has gone formdisposing of his honest reputation to the point of participating inscams, being arrested, bedding every 19 year old girl he can, losinghis money, divorcing his wife (Susan Sarandon), losing the respect ofhis daughter (Jenny Fischer) whose husband requests she not see herfather nor expose their son to him, cheating on his girlfriend withimportant family ties (Mary Louise Parker) by inappropriate activitywith her daughter (Imogen Poots), and being refused financing despitehis friend (Ben Schenkman) attempts on his behalf. He finally ends upon the campus where he met his wife, meets a shy student (JesseEisenberg) and in attempting to give him lessons about how to attractwomen unveils an even more ugly aspect of his position, and finallymeets up with his only friend from college days - the local pub man(Danny DeVito) who may never have reached the heights of Ben but hasremained an honest and caring friend. How all of these errors ofjudgment and despicable behavior catch up with him frames an ending forthe film - one that leaves the audience to decide if he has indeedlearned form his missteps. Not a happy story and while billed as a comedy/drama, it is the dramathat usurps the comedy. Michael Douglas hands this role with completeinvolvement: would that we could only care about his character. Thestars attached to the cast give excellent cameos. For a 'downer' filmit is well done. Grady Harp

Jack Gattanella

08 February 2013

The Mike Douglas Show (no, not that one)

Directors David Levien and Barry Kopelman (from Kopelman's script) givethe best possible thing they could for Michael Douglas: to play someonewho makes a living at playing. In a sense this is a return to acharacter like Gordon Gecko, who is a bigger than life guy, only thistime he's knocked down by a bunch of pegs. He's done some criminalthings as "The Only Honest Car Dealer" around, and he's let down hisdaughter and grandson in more ways than one (mostly by, as usually thecase with family, not being there), and he's a hopeless womanizer, whouses his skills as a car salesman to hone in on what makes woman, uh,want him I guess. And this gets him in more hot water, especially whenhe seduces family friends and even the 18 year old daughter of hiscurrent girlfriend. His daughter thinks he has a psychological disorderand needs help. In reality, I think he's just an aging Casanova, way inover his head after years of skating on success.Douglas plays this guy, Ben Kalmen, a man who has his name on top of alibrary at a university up in Boston as he donated all that money, likea man who knows everything and nothing at the same time. He's aconsummate people person, can charm the pants off anyone, seduce mostwomen, but is clueless in seeing the errors in his ways over time.Douglas would come back to play this, perhaps now in retrospectredundantly, this very year with Wall Street 2, only in that case givena boost up by actually serving jail time. Ben hasn't been to jail, per-say. He's been in his own solitary-made prison (hence the title). Doeshe like that? It is what it is, he says at one point.I love watching Douglas be able to make a character look interestingeven when (perhaps, admittedly) it looks as if he's just playing'himself', or how we might picture Michael Douglas to be in, well, ifnot real life kind of like his 'movie-life' if that makes sense (kindof like how George Clooney puts on a persona that seems like "him"). Heactually elevates a script that is good but not very ambitious withwhere it wants to take its characters. It's very straightforward aboutwhere it's going, which is the comeuppance of a man who has done toomuch in his life to screw over women, screw over family, screw overcompetition. By the end it's even questionable whether he'll even havea home exactly.But in a way I, as I'm sure we all, enjoy watching Douglas being a kindof cool-hand jerk, oily and suave and such a playboy that he can charmeven in a t-shirt lent by mentee Jesse Eisenberg. Unfortunately thehumbling period isn't quite as cathartic as that in another Douglasvehicle, also compared by other critics, of Wonder Boys. That had a lotmore going on with its supporting characters, while here those aroundhim are soundboards, telling him what's going on with him, where he'sgone wrong, or in a few exceptions (Eisenberg, De Vito) on his side butcautious as friends and allies. It's a good character study though nota very good drama, if that might make sense. I suppose ultimately thisand Wall Street 2 would make the better combination; neither filmreaches greatness, but they'll do as Golden-Age prime-rib roles for itsstar, who is magnetic, humorous, touching, engaging, and, thankfully,sympathetic to a degree. And there's a lot of fun to be had too, thankgoodness.

Geoff Berkshire

07 February 2013

Rich dialogue and uniformly strong performances ensure it's an intelligent, entertaining movie for adults.