Review of Solitary Man (2009) by Dae L — 10 Sep 2010

"Ben loves his family almost as much as he loves himself".

A car magnate watches his personal and professional life hit the skids because of his business and romantic indiscretions.

REVIEW.

Solitary Man tells the story of Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas), a car magnate who has to watch his personal and professional life hit the skids because of his business and romantic indiscretion. The story seems very simple but the subject however, it's quite complex. Solitary Man is much more then a quirky little comedy or small well written drama. While it combines elements from both genres, it's a journey of self-discovery that makes the viewers think...think about life, about themselves, about aspirations and desires and so forth and I really enjoyed it.

I guess this is my favorite kind of film, a very personal story about every day life that focuses on the characters and their struggles and eventually tackles some big questions. So much better then a special effects bonanza without any real value or one of those A-list star studded comedies. Anyway, the script is pretty great and the film was extremely well directed. It has a great pace, very entertaining and never gets boring and more importantly, it's a clever film. One that you may actually think about a little after the credits roll.

Having said that, this film wouldn't been the same without the acting. Imogen Poots and Jenna Fischer were great and then there's Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Mary-Louise Parker and Jesse Eisenberg who all had smaller roles but made the best out of it. And of course, the always charismatic Michael Douglas. He delivered an amazing performance that really made the film. Absolutely expectational work by the veteran actor. Overall, a great film that probably won't reach wider audiences and yet, this is the stuff good films are made of.