A Solitary Man

You probably haven't even heard of this movie. I had to drive to Santa Monica (about 15 miles)today to see it at the Laemmle Monica. (Reminder to myself: Never drive to the beach on Memorial Day !) Anyway, Michael Douglas as a flawed, charming, aging, formerly sucessful, but now failing in all areas of his life, not surprisingly, proved himself to be a truly terrific actor. I always thought he was good, but he surpassed himself in this role. Noteworthy in the excellent cast, which included Susan Sarandon and Mary-Louise Parker was Danny Devito -- who has come a long way from his days as the obnoxious guy on "Taxi" -(are you old enough to remember that series on TV?) Anyway, much as I disliked dealing with the bumper to bumper traffic today, the movie was worth it. Definitely not a happy story, but certainly believable as far as understanding the tragedy of a man who made bad decisions, and continues making them as he refuses to accept aging gracefully. (His character admits to being 60, and he doesn't understand about friendship). "A Solitary Man" won't be a blockbuster despite the fact that there's a lot of talk about sex. I hope to see Douglas soon in some equally challenging, suitable, and quality roles. SP