4 stars (out of 5)
By R. Kurt Osenlund
The icepick-sharp character study “Solitary Man” charts the dramatic descent of Ben Kalmen, a very badly-behaving, 60-year-old SOB played by Michael Douglas in a slick and lively performance. The film sees Ben move from one poor, irresponsible and childish decision to the next, all in a blind attempt to deny his age and keep a firm grasp on his youth – the good old days when he was a social and professional rock star. The proud denial and delusional nostalgia are soon the only things this former car-dealership giant has to hold on to, as his reckless, own-worst-enemy choices destroy his career and begin alienating him from his family, his friends and, essentially, reality. Following Ben all the way to the bottom, “Solitary Man” is a slightly exhausted, yet largely offbeat and attitude-infused take on the classic tragedy of a man's fall from grace. Call it “Damn-near Death of a Salesman.”
The icepick-sharp character study “Solitary Man” charts the dramatic descent of Ben Kalmen, a very badly-behaving, 60-year-old SOB played by Michael Douglas in a slick and lively performance. The film sees Ben move from one poor, irresponsible and childish decision to the next, all in a blind attempt to deny his age and keep a firm grasp on his youth – the good old days when he was a social and professional rock star. The proud denial and delusional nostalgia are soon the only things this former car-dealership giant has to hold on to, as his reckless, own-worst-enemy choices destroy his career and begin alienating him from his family, his friends and, essentially, reality. Following Ben all the way to the bottom, “Solitary Man” is a slightly exhausted, yet largely offbeat and attitude-infused take on the classic tragedy of a man's fall from grace. Call it “Damn-near Death of a Salesman.”
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