Men are proving to be real louses. Tiger Woods cheats on his wife with porno stars. Senator John Edwards leaves his spouse of 30 years who is suffering from cancer for a younger woman. Al Gore dumps Tipper for another lady. Then there's Bill Clinton and other notables.
So a few of us guys who don't go for the midlife crisis and do not engage in unethical, immoral, or undignified male behavior, seek a few movie role models where maybe, just once, guys won't be portrayed as bums. Not to be found in A Solitary Man.
With the movie currently playing, I will not be a spoiler. But I must severely pan this film for its all-too-dour portrait of a 60-something lost soul.
In the film, Michael Douglas plays a former car dealer who's down on his luck. Fine and dandy. But must he end up being a total scum bag? Really tough to sympathize with a predator who destroys everything around him, who has no issue with bedding teens, and hangs around campus...every bit the grey-haired voyeur who, in truth, I'd like to see arrested.
I refer the reader to a previous post I made on Michael Douglas to reflect the admiration I have for this fine actor. It's just that the best actor in the world cannot improve a lousy script. Yes, we get the idea that MD's character is on the way down. We have seen myriads of films that depict "unraveling" beautifully. Remember MD in Falling Down? That was a wow! By contrast, the present film is a "Booooooo!" (as in the sound you make when you can't stand something).
In summary? Every portrait of human behavior requires balance, subtlety, and grace. Sometimes, negative stories lose these qualities and end up as little more than gross, crass, gratuitiously foul views of human nature.
Grade: D View at your own risk. If you come home pissed off at a lousy movie, remember this reader's caution!
I will rely on my smart colleague Valerie to second this emotion, as the song goes...or educate me (as she often does). Back to you, film buddy.
Just saw it today. First I'll say that I would not laud Michael Douglas as one of the world's greatest actors (too many rate ahead of him), but a very good solid one. And I think he has grown into real excellence in this role. I liken him to George Clooney who makes is all look easy, as if he's just playing himself. MD uses tiny nuances in this role in an accumulative way.
ReplyDeleteA Solitary Man? Well, I loved the opening with Johnny Cash's rendition of Diamond's hit. But true artistic elements kind of ended there. In a word, I found this movie BORING. As you said, yeah, we get it. Yeah, I know this guy by name. This just had no plot development. Even his final so-called fork in the road came not by a heart attack but as a consequence to a stupid thug beating.
I didn't take this film as a blatant male bashing, because DeVito's character (and the college kid) offered us otherwise in men. And I appreciate that.
My problem with "Ben" is that I didn't hate him and I didn't like him; I just didn't care. That's the kiss of death for a protagonist. It felt like I watched a 20 min. flick. But hey, again, the room was cool. And before I know it, I'll qualify for senior discount.
And, David, you couldn't have found a spoiler, as it didn't even have a clear ending. So, which way do you think he went?
I'll bet it made a better novel, if that's how it started.