First Hit: Michael Douglas is perfect in this role and does carry the premise all the way to the end.
The basic premise of this film is about some men and their drive, desire and lust to conquer women by bedding them.
Douglas plays Ben Kalmen, a divorced former car dealer who got caught scheming and was convicted of fraud. He has no job, no friends but he’d like to get back into business. He also has a reputation of hitting on many young women and bedding them. He’s dating and living with Jordan (played by Mary-Louise Parker) and Allyson (played by Imogen Poots) Karsch a mother and daughter who have their own wealth.
Although he is living with Jordan, he is still picking up other women and taking them to hotels. He’s tasked with taking Allyson to her college for a meeting with the Chancellor. Doing this puts himself in good graces with Jordan who can pull strings to get him endorsements and support to build a new auto dealership.
However, he hits on Allyson thinking she won’t tell her mother. His former wife Nancy (played by Susan Sarandon) still lives in their old apartment and still has their furniture. There is nostalgia and comforts being with her but as you learn at the end of the film, he became this other person because he felt invisible.
There are numerous men like Ben and this film can serve as a view of how their lives could go. I did like that the ending of the film was left up in the air, but I’m pretty sure of the way he went.
Douglas fills the bill of this character with panache. Whether it is true or not; if you believe gossip magazines, he makes the role come alive with realism. His dialogue is spoken with experienced ease. Parker effectively carries off the role of a rich affected wealthy woman who is hurt but wanting to move on. Poots as Allyson is strong by being both angry at and complacent with her mom. Jenna Fischer plays Kalmen’s daughter and given the odd dialogue with her father about his exploits, I was both taken aback and intrigued. Sarandon has a small but effective part by grounding the the film. Danny DeVito plays a old friend who runs a deli near his alma mater and here DeVito is on course and on track.
Overall: I liked this film as it fairly portrayed the sadness of someone continuing to find their strength through seduction.