Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Douglas' best performance in some time highlights a quality picture about a man who's lost his place in the world.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 10, 2010

You &#(^@! it up six ways until Sunday.

What is is that makes a man a lonely -- or a solitary -- man, and what does it mean to be "lonely?" Is loneliness something that takes shape from some source outside a man's sphere of influence, or is it something that festers, grows, and comes to dominate from within? Does he bring it upon himself, does he choose to live a life of relative seclusion, or does he allow his life choices to in some way define his existence to the point that others see him as something akin to Kryptonite, a person that's always followed by pessimism, hurt, or some other negative influence? Does being "lonely" literally mean the absence of people, or can it mean that emptiness that exists inside, that nagging feeling that urges a man to turn his life around but that goes ignored in favor of more vice, more living for the moment, more ignoring the pleas of those who really care? More often than not, and certainly in the case of the fictitious lead character in Directors Brian Koppelman's and David Levien's Solitary Man, the answer is some combination of "all of the above." Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, in one of this best roles in years) lives a life that seems to bring him equal amounts of pleasure and pain, but his insistence on disregarding the latter in favor of the former -- to the detriment of both his body and soul and to those around him -- leads him to a point in life where he has almost no one to care for him and no one to blame but himself for what begins as loneliness defined as that emptiness inside the soul and that seems intent on manifesting itself to that other brand of loneliness that sees a man abandoned by even those closest to him.

Nobody disses the yellow shirt.

Ben Kalmen (Douglas) once had it all -- a thriving automobile dealership, a loving family, and great friends -- but it's all gone now. Diagnosed with a potentially serious heart condition that he never follows up on, Kalmen chooses to not live in fear but instead live in the moment, even if that means further alienating his already-estranged family and cutting ties with any business and personal connections he may have left. When he agrees to escort his current lover's daughter, Allyson (Imogen Poots, 28 Weeks Later), to a college interview where he still holds some clout and his name still adorns the library building, he meets an ambitious but naive student, Daniel (Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland), whom Ben takes under his wing and teaches how to bed the pretty girls and establish himself as a popular student rather than a nerdy one. Unfortunately, Ben can't keep his hands to himself or his mouth shut, sleeping and flirting with a few too many women and vocalizing those thoughts best left in the mind. For all his charm, his good looks, and the ease with which he carries himself, those superficialities slowly but surely begin to fail the man underneath, leading Ben to finally face reality and decide if he's going to continue on with a life that's going nowhere or to fall back into the arms of those few who still care.

Solitary Man is picture that focuses on a character so psychologically complex that it's difficult to figure out exactly what it is that motivates him to live as he does, but it's that ambiguity that makes the film such a marvelous character study. Ben Kalmen is a case study for a man who had it all and flushed it away for...well, maybe even he doesn't know for sure. A longing for a bygone youth? One-night stands? Hubris? It would seem that each of these play some part in his downfall from automobile magnate and family man to a shell that might still impress others at first glance but certainly doesn't offer any long-term benefits to those he tricks with promises of sexual, financial, or emotional satisfaction into entering his personal space. In a way, Solitary Man is a highly original picture, for its primary character doesn't necessarily lead the sort of fast and easy life that's always within earshot of those internal regrets that always seem to put a damper on such characters and at least give them pause before they once again engage in that cycle that's slowly but surely sealing their fates. Kalmen, instead, takes news that he may by sick and without much time left as an excuse to live as freely and recklessly as he chooses, and while he still attempts to maintain relationships with his family and friends, rekindle his automobile empire, or bed almost any good-looking girl willing to give him the time of day, his mounting failures never seem to carry all that much weight when he stops to analyze why things aren't going according to plan. Kalmen doesn't seem to understand what it is that's reducing him to nothing, and if he does, he just doesn't seem to care. Directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien have crafted a wonderfully novel picture that revels in its character's carelessness and ambiguity all the way through to its perfect final shot.

Ben Kalmen is a superbly-written character, but it's Michael Douglas' performance that puts him into a category that sees Kalmen elevated to one of the more memorable in recent memory. Douglas displays an uncanny ability to leave his audience sympathizing with Kalmen, even through every episode that further cements the character as the very definition of a slime ball. That's a testament to Douglas' acting chops to be sure, but it seems the actor's and the script's secret is that, even underneath the philandering, hubris, and random acts of rudeness that are on display, the audience can still see a glimmer of hope for the character, some base psychological foundation that may be long since buried underneath a pile of vices, but one that still promises at least a sliver of hope that, just maybe, there's the Ben Kalmen of old -- a character the audience never really comes to know save through brief spurts of dialogue between characters -- that is still somewhere inside and just waiting to come back out. Another area where Solitary Man truly works is in the way that those closest to Ben -- his ex-wife, his daughter, his old friend -- continue to hold out hope for him, to treat him with at least a semblance of dignity, to offer him a hand when he needs one the most, even if he's repeatedly failed to offer his. Additionally, the remainder of the cast is unusually strong and extraordinarily understanding of the picture's finest nuances that make Solitary Man one of the best character studies in some time. Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, and Jenna Fischer are all superb in their supporting roles as those who see in Ben the worst but still can't help but to hope for the best.

Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Solitary Man yields a highly inconsistent, but never overtly disappointing, 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Clarity and definition often waver, with the image at times delivering a crisp, focused, and sharp image and, later, looking haggard, soft, and flat. Fine details are strongest around the exterior of the college that plays a prominent role throughout the picture; stone walls, pavement, grasses, leaves, and other odds and ends sport amazingly clear and realistic textures, with the image also capturing a fair bit of depth. Unfortunately, those hazier, less defined scenes pop up almost as often as the better ones, with darker shots in particular suffering from washed out details and pale blacks. Flesh tones also display a strong push towards an orange shade in many scenes. Otherwise, colors are generally stable and sometimes brilliantly rich, once again looking their best in those daytime exteriors. Slight banding and a few very minor compression artifacts are visible in a few select shots, but the transfer doesn't suffer through any other major bugaboos. A very fine layer of grain is retained over the image, but it doesn't do much to give the transfer a superior film-like texture. Unfortunately, Solitary Man doesn't quite live up to the same standards set by Anchor Bay's best transfers, but it's still highly watchable and, more often than not, free of any transfer-ruining detrimental anomalies.

Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Solitary Man features a nuts-and-bolts PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack that carries the film's dialogue-heavy elements well enough, but could use some spit-and-polish in several other areas. The picture opens with a fundamentally sound presentation of a Johnny Cash song; the music enjoys strong clarity and spacing across the front, and while the lyrics seem a bit sharp, they play with that signature Cash cadence that's captured wonderfully in this uncompressed track. Additional instrumental music plays decently enough, never really lacking in any area but never impressing beyond expected format norms, either. Ambience often sounds muffled and indistinct; a party scene in chapter four delivers the basics and nothing but the basics, and even then there's a distinct absence of superior clarity that results in a failure to draw the listener into the environment. Fortunately, dialogue is consistently focused and infinitely discernible; no problems along the picture's primary element. Solitary Man's soundtrack isn't one built to dazzle the senses by its very nature, but it could certainly stand a bit more refinement, anyway.

Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Solitary Man is accompanied by two extras of note. First up is an audio commentary track with Writer/Director Brian Koppelman, Director David Levien, and Actor Douglas McGrath that sees the participants discussing the picture's themes and pivotal moments, shooting locales and the corresponding authenticity they lend to the picture, working around a shoestring budget, the picture's sound design, assembling the cast and the main players' performances, working with legends Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, and much more. This is a well-spoken, informative, and worthwhile commentary; fans will want to give it a listen. 'Solitary Man:' Alone in a Crowd (480p, 11:46) features cast and crew talking up the picture's story, themes, and the quality of work that plays out both in front of and behind the camera. Also included is the Solitary Man theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:30) and additional 1080p trailers for After.Life, City Island, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, and Abandoned.

Solitary Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Solitary Man is an extraordinary little gem of a picture that looks at the life of a man who's seen his fame, fortune, and family reduced to almost nothing, but who still can't let go of his ways and vices that have taken away everything he once cherished. Directors Brian Koppelman and David Levien have crafted one of the better character studies in recent memory, and it's made all the better by a wonderfully gripping performance by Michael Douglas and supported by several strong efforts that round the movie into award-worthy form. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Solitary Man doesn't deliver the same top-flight video and audio transfers fans have become accustomed to, but neither truly disappoints. The supplements are of a good quality but come up lacking in quantity. Nevertheless, the strength of the film earns Solitary Man's Blu-ray release a recommendation.