Solitary Man
Brian Koppelman & David Levien
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Plot Summary
Ben (Michael Douglas of WALL STREET) once ruled a car-dealership empire vast enough to fuel a glossy Manhattan lifestyle and endow a library at an East Coast university. But by the time he arrives at the college with his girlfriend’s daughter, Allyson (Imogen Poots), who is a prospective student, his world has collapsed around his ears. A business scandal has cost him his income and his marriage to Nancy (Susan Sarandon of THELMA & LOUISE). His ever-present lust for every passing attractive woman threatens to take what little Ben has left. Even his new relationship with Jordan (Mary-Louise Parker of TV's WEEDS) oscillates with tension. When Ben takes Allyson to tour the school, his motives are more than mixed. An all-star cast including Danny DeVito (TV's IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA), Jenna Fischer (TV's THE OFFICE), and Jesse Eisenberg (ZOMBIELAND) round out this honest and precise drama.
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Directors
Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
81%- Reviews Counted: 91
- Fresh: 74
- Rotten: 17
- Average Rating: 6.9/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: A sharp, small-scale comedy of male misbehavior that turns out to be one of this dreary spring's pleasant cinematic surprises.
Fresh: The bumps in the narrative can be jarring, but Douglas never makes a false move, delivering a tour de force in human weakness.
Fresh: Koppleman and his co-director, David Levien, hit the right tone early -- empathetic yet brutally honest -- and Douglas' absorbing, minutely detailed performance sustains it.
Rotten: Solitary Man intends to be shocking, and has been rewarded with some respectful reviews. But ticket buyer beware -- the film's real shocker is its unpleasantness.
Customer Reviews
funny how most of the posts are not about the movie
I read so many posts that sound personal etc dirty old man and sad yea its a movie!
he is playing that guy the fact it upsets you may mean the movie was good.
think about it.
Don't Waste Your Time
A 60 plus year old man who destroyed his marriage, his successful business, continues to chase after 18 - 30 year old women and destroys everyone (including family members) in his path! He's a pathetic character who never grew up. Doesn't deserve any sympathy. The relationships in the movie are very shallow. The movie on the whole - is very shallow!
For Captain Ben.
This is a tough story for Americans to look at, but just because a story makes you uncomfortable is no reason to cast it aside as a "bad" film. OK, so the character Michael Douglas plays here (Ben) has some serious problems. You'll need to sit with the film 'til the end to see that, despite his problems, there is hope for him and his family. I don't think Ben's story is unusual or special. In fact, I'll bet it happens more than we care to imagine. It seems the source of his problems initially may have been complacency and ego. So, Ben starts playing games with himself. He takes some wild risks, dabbles in some destructive behaviour, and WHOOSH, next thing you know he's made a mess of his life, and loses just about everything. For a while his family is negatively affected, too. But...there is hope, people. There is hope. Mr. Douglas does a hell of a job in this picture and is surrounded by some familiar talent (most notably DeVito, Sarandon and Eisenberg). The camera work is beautiful, and the musical score does an excellent job of augmenting the emotions coming from the actors. I recommend people check it out.
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