Review of Solitary Man (2009) by Hunter D — 02 Nov 2010

If you've ever enjoyed Michael Douglas in a movie before, SOLITARY MAN is worth seeing. We all know someone like the character he plays, which is the womanizing older man who likes to pretend he's still young, even though it hurts everyone close to him.

Still, he practically remains oblivious (seemingly by choice) even as his life begins to seriously fall apart on every level. It's easy to forget what a screen presence Michael Douglas is, but SOLITARY MAN is a good reminder.

His character in the film is one we're behind, not necessarily because he's a good person, but because we like him as a presence and want him to stop making horrible decisions and start making the right ones and finally grow up as a result.

In fact, the only reason the main character in this film is likable is because Douglas plays him, a less familiar presence might have made for a more interesting character study. The presence of Jesse Eisenberg adds a bit of ROGER DODGER to a segment of the film as Douglas' character gives the young college boy advice with the ladies, which is a familiar-yet-welcome touch.

I like movies with deeply flawed protagonists, and yet directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien couldn't seem to decide which way to go with a character like that and decide to take the easy way out at the end, some will call it ambiguous, I call it lazy.

It's a good movie that's hindered by an obvious ending that is neither satisfying, nor thought provoking, it just sort of leaves you behind, and as a result, the movie will leave your consciousness once it's over.

Douglas is what makes this one worthwhile up until then.