A Single Man (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
George Falconer (Colin Firth) wakes up one morning after a dream where he kisses his dead lover goodbye & lays beside him in the cold, red snow. His eyes open - and hardly shocked by this dream - he glances over to where Jim (Matthew Goode), his lover of 16 yrs., used to sleep. This dream, his empty bed - harsh reminders of Jim's unfortunate death. 'A Single Man' (directed by fashion designer, Tom Ford) picks up 8 months after Jim's fatal car accident; where George tells us in voice-over that he dreads waking up every day to the reminder of his loneliness. Fearful of his suppressed homosexual persona, dwelling on the past, & trapped in mourning ... he slowly comes to the conclusion that without that one person who understands him fully in a world (1962 Los Angeles) where homosexuality is completely intolerant - then there is no reason to keep on living. The monotony of living alone (emotionally & literally) is too much.
Not even his professorial job keeps him motivated. And the icy reception he gets from his colleagues/students doesn't give him reason to pause his macabre plans. So, rising from bed, assuming this to be the last day of his life, he drags himself into existence, washes, dresses, gets things in order - just as he always has. George's meaningless, minutia-filled day goes by as predicted, save for 3 rogue events. The 1st occurs when one of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult, of About a Boy) takes an interest in him; if not sexually, then as a kindred spirit. The 2nd occurs when he shares a cigarette with a man at a liquor store. And the 3rd event occurs at 7 p.m. when he is consoled by his close friend, Charley (Julianne Moore); a sloppy drunk who wrestles her own feelings of isolation; posing what she thinks is a harmless question to George (paraphrasing): 'Why didn't we have a real relationship, not like your one with Jim? We'd both have each other.' But her ignorance is not to blame; no one took homosexual relationships seriously, then. As George's day draws to a close, which of these 3 events - if any - can pull him from his suicidal abyss? Memories of Jim have clouded his entire day. Can anyone in his present make him forget the past & forge on to a viable future?
'A Single Man' is, first & foremost, a brilliant character study (with a well written, if thin plot). And a great deal of its success is due to director Tom Ford. There are directors out there today who have been established for decades that continually put out unappealing films; whereas, this fashion designer has come out of nowhere, made his 1st film, & it is - in my mind - an absolutely astonishing debut. He just nailed it; from every angle possible. The acting: great. The writing (based on a 1964 novel): solid. The technical work: pristine. The mood of the film (one of its other assets): hypnotic. Ford examines the trials that come with losing the ONLY person you ever had a true connection with. The script is quiet, personal, intimate, tragic, ironic, & heavily symbolic. And Ford chooses to go with nuance & dramatic alertness, rather than tearjerker scenes or melodramatics. This makes the emotions feel believable, rather than forced.
Colin Firth has always been a more-than-capable actor. But never before has he given such a subtle, emotionally complex, & soul-bearing performance as a man who knows that proper grieving in a society that fears homosexuals is a world he cannot stay afloat in. There's an unrehearsed feel to the performance that you rarely see; incredible to see Firth's George falsely exude such elegance to the outside world while his heart is dying inside. He's repressed himself long enough; wounded, shocked. And it's very interesting that with the 3 major characters he encounters in the story, Firth has such intoxicating chemistry with each of them. His is one of the most delicate, internalized, & eloquent performances of the year.
Julianne Moore is only in 2 or 3 short scenes aside from her one 10 min. sequence. But she makes the most of it; encapsulating - with Firth - more exposition, happenstance, & feeling in 10 min. than most films attain in 120. 'Charley' is a devastating character, too; attractive, rich ... but divorced, neglected & nearly incapacitated. No one cares about her adornments, her lifestyle, or her problems. She's depressed, & knows deep inside that even George can't pull her from her abyss. Moore nails that pathetic middle aged party girl who's all dressed up with nowhere to go & no one to be with. Nicholas Hoult is stellar as Kenny, George's unexpected object of misplaced affection. Kenny is sensitive, intuitive, & intrigued by Prof. Falconer's underlying forlornness. He sees George's breaking heart; and by the end of the day, has crept his way into it. It's easy to see why both men would take an interest (at the very least, platonically) in each other. And Matthew Goode, seen only in fractured flashbacks, shows us why he & George had such an unbreakable bond.
'A Single Man' is a stunningly beautiful film; inhabiting a dreamlike quality throughout - the kind of movie where you remember how you felt while watching it; even more than plot specifics. It's also a stunningly sad film. Not depressing, mind you … but sad. There's a difference. I did not personally feel sorrow for George. But I never doubted his sadness for one second. I think that some people won't enjoy or have patience for the deliberately-paced, slow, melancholy feel of the film. Grief is a hard sell at the movie theater. But I was just so taken by each exquisite frame of the film; & how poor George was trying to overcome a grief that would probably never let up. And even at that, there is a hint of optimism near the end about human's ability to make peace with pain & tragedy.
This film is not perfect - I wish the ending had as much visual & emotive clarity as the rest of the proceedings - but I still think it's intelligent, ponderous, & lovely. Eduard Grau's sumptuous cinematography is as much a character as the humans. As mentioned, every single Technicolor frame could be a postcard from L.A. in the 1960's. And I loved the concept of the colors & lighting changing with the ebb & flow of George's emotions. The set designs & costumes are great; meticulous, but without calling attention to themselves. And Abel Korzeniowski's classical score is one of my favorites of the year. 'A Single Man' may not be as narratively deep or iconic as a Brokeback Mountain, but I can't help but find parallels btwn. both movies. Straight, gay, purple, or green, everyone suffers from the fear of losing their most cherished loved one & being lonely in the face of societal derision.
Not even his professorial job keeps him motivated. And the icy reception he gets from his colleagues/students doesn't give him reason to pause his macabre plans. So, rising from bed, assuming this to be the last day of his life, he drags himself into existence, washes, dresses, gets things in order - just as he always has. George's meaningless, minutia-filled day goes by as predicted, save for 3 rogue events. The 1st occurs when one of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult, of About a Boy) takes an interest in him; if not sexually, then as a kindred spirit. The 2nd occurs when he shares a cigarette with a man at a liquor store. And the 3rd event occurs at 7 p.m. when he is consoled by his close friend, Charley (Julianne Moore); a sloppy drunk who wrestles her own feelings of isolation; posing what she thinks is a harmless question to George (paraphrasing): 'Why didn't we have a real relationship, not like your one with Jim? We'd both have each other.' But her ignorance is not to blame; no one took homosexual relationships seriously, then. As George's day draws to a close, which of these 3 events - if any - can pull him from his suicidal abyss? Memories of Jim have clouded his entire day. Can anyone in his present make him forget the past & forge on to a viable future?
'A Single Man' is, first & foremost, a brilliant character study (with a well written, if thin plot). And a great deal of its success is due to director Tom Ford. There are directors out there today who have been established for decades that continually put out unappealing films; whereas, this fashion designer has come out of nowhere, made his 1st film, & it is - in my mind - an absolutely astonishing debut. He just nailed it; from every angle possible. The acting: great. The writing (based on a 1964 novel): solid. The technical work: pristine. The mood of the film (one of its other assets): hypnotic. Ford examines the trials that come with losing the ONLY person you ever had a true connection with. The script is quiet, personal, intimate, tragic, ironic, & heavily symbolic. And Ford chooses to go with nuance & dramatic alertness, rather than tearjerker scenes or melodramatics. This makes the emotions feel believable, rather than forced.
Colin Firth has always been a more-than-capable actor. But never before has he given such a subtle, emotionally complex, & soul-bearing performance as a man who knows that proper grieving in a society that fears homosexuals is a world he cannot stay afloat in. There's an unrehearsed feel to the performance that you rarely see; incredible to see Firth's George falsely exude such elegance to the outside world while his heart is dying inside. He's repressed himself long enough; wounded, shocked. And it's very interesting that with the 3 major characters he encounters in the story, Firth has such intoxicating chemistry with each of them. His is one of the most delicate, internalized, & eloquent performances of the year.
Julianne Moore is only in 2 or 3 short scenes aside from her one 10 min. sequence. But she makes the most of it; encapsulating - with Firth - more exposition, happenstance, & feeling in 10 min. than most films attain in 120. 'Charley' is a devastating character, too; attractive, rich ... but divorced, neglected & nearly incapacitated. No one cares about her adornments, her lifestyle, or her problems. She's depressed, & knows deep inside that even George can't pull her from her abyss. Moore nails that pathetic middle aged party girl who's all dressed up with nowhere to go & no one to be with. Nicholas Hoult is stellar as Kenny, George's unexpected object of misplaced affection. Kenny is sensitive, intuitive, & intrigued by Prof. Falconer's underlying forlornness. He sees George's breaking heart; and by the end of the day, has crept his way into it. It's easy to see why both men would take an interest (at the very least, platonically) in each other. And Matthew Goode, seen only in fractured flashbacks, shows us why he & George had such an unbreakable bond.
'A Single Man' is a stunningly beautiful film; inhabiting a dreamlike quality throughout - the kind of movie where you remember how you felt while watching it; even more than plot specifics. It's also a stunningly sad film. Not depressing, mind you … but sad. There's a difference. I did not personally feel sorrow for George. But I never doubted his sadness for one second. I think that some people won't enjoy or have patience for the deliberately-paced, slow, melancholy feel of the film. Grief is a hard sell at the movie theater. But I was just so taken by each exquisite frame of the film; & how poor George was trying to overcome a grief that would probably never let up. And even at that, there is a hint of optimism near the end about human's ability to make peace with pain & tragedy.
This film is not perfect - I wish the ending had as much visual & emotive clarity as the rest of the proceedings - but I still think it's intelligent, ponderous, & lovely. Eduard Grau's sumptuous cinematography is as much a character as the humans. As mentioned, every single Technicolor frame could be a postcard from L.A. in the 1960's. And I loved the concept of the colors & lighting changing with the ebb & flow of George's emotions. The set designs & costumes are great; meticulous, but without calling attention to themselves. And Abel Korzeniowski's classical score is one of my favorites of the year. 'A Single Man' may not be as narratively deep or iconic as a Brokeback Mountain, but I can't help but find parallels btwn. both movies. Straight, gay, purple, or green, everyone suffers from the fear of losing their most cherished loved one & being lonely in the face of societal derision.