Michael Douglas shines in 'Solitary Man'

Think of "Solitary Man" as a small-scale alternative to Oliver Stone's "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps," due in September.

Both feature Michael Douglas as a shady Manhattan businessman fresh out of jail who takes a naive youngster under his wing. Stone's star-studded attraction is already getting all the attention, but this independent film, co-directed by David Levien and screenwriter Brian Koppelman, deserves an audience.

Douglas plays Ben Kalmen, a former car dealer whose fine wardrobe has been reduced to one suit, a black number that calls to mind the man who sings the film's theme song, Johnny Cash. Ben still has plenty of women, including a well-connected girlfriend, Jordan (Mary-Louise Parker), and her nubile daughter, Allyson (Imogen Poots). Even his ex-wife, Nancy (Susan Sarandon), remains affectionate, albeit at arm's length.

As Ben sleeps his way into trouble and routinely sabotages what's left of his life - "I don't love your EKG," his doctor says - "Solitary Man" allows Douglas to return to his most enduring role, the White American Male. Like nearly every Douglas hero, whether in "Fatal Attraction" or "Falling Down," Ben is enslaved by his desires and hounded by mortality; he's a selfish animal driven to succeed but somehow failing to thrive.

More a character study than a narrative, "Solitary Man" can wander; Jesse Eisenberg, as the college-age whelp, is one of several loose threads. But the film is always smart and sensitive, and Douglas is once again at his best playing a character at his worst.