Solitary Man

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  • Opened May 21, 2010 
  • 1 hr 30 min
  • R | language and some sexual content
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+. More on child suitability

  • Solitary Man tells the dryly funny yet all too relatable story of Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas), a fifty-something New Yorker and former successful car dealer, who through his own bad choices lost his entire business. He's also divorced from Nancy (Susan Sarandon), his college sweetheart and the one person who knows him better than anyone. Although he still finds the time for his daughter Susan (Jenna Fischer) and her adoring grandson, his role as more of a friend than father or grandfather is starting to wear thin on the family. His girlfriend Jordan (Mary-Louise Parker) is the daughter of a very influential businessman who's on the board of a major auto manufacturer. If Ben can just keep his hubris in check for a little while longer, he will be back as big as ever, but some of the same motivations that lead to his demise are threatening to take him down again, and for good. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Michael Douglas, Mary-Louise Parker, Jenna Fischer, Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots
  • Director: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama

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Critics say Go
69 out of 100
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Critic Reviews

91
Entertainment Weekly
| Lisa Schwarzbaum

With an outstanding screenplay by Brian Koppelman and disciplined direction by Koppelman and David Levien, a story that could have been generic (or worse, scented with flowery bulls---) turns into a precise, honest, and affecting drama. Read full review

75
Boston Globe
| Ty Burr

Too shapeless and cursorily plotted to fully work as a story, but Koppelman and his co-director, David Levien, generously surround the hero with reliable actors doing solid work; if you can get past the catastrophe of Ben’s behavior, the film’s a genuine pleasure. Read full review

75
Philadelphia Inquirer
| Carrie Rickey

Solitary Man is a wafer-thin film with a river-deep, mountain-high performance from Douglas. Read full review

75
Rolling Stone
| Peter Travers

Douglas never makes a false move, delivering a tour de force in human weakness. Read full review

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Photos

Imogen Poots as Allyson, Michael Douglas as Ben and Jesse Eisenberg as Cheston in "Solitary Man."