A Single Man
Nobody in their right mind would predict a former fashion designer could turn in a startlingly assured debut film. But that’s exactly what Tom Ford has achieved with A Single Man. The film’s wistful tone and melancholic atmosphere play counterpoint to Colin Firth’s sardonic, but deeply wounded character. As George Falconer, the English professor teaching in Los Angeles, Firth delivers something very special. It is a performance all in the eyes – and how pained they look.
Set on a single day – 30th November, 1962 – the audience is treated to the highlights of a man who wakes up with the intent to kill himself and who ends the day having glimpsed the potential for a new happiness. There’s a lovely irony delivered in the final moments that make one wonder if it’s what the character wanted and needed all along.
The narrative is episodic and although it is strictly “character driven” fare, A Single Man, much like a great novel, seduces you with its intent and form. Eduard Grau’s cinematography plays some neat stylish tricks with light. The film starts off in muted browns and greys and becomes brighter and brighter as the film goes on. An exquisite touch involves the screen changing colour tones whenever Falconer meets somebody and interacts with them. It is a beautiful way to state a change in mood that is at once cinematic and psychological. .
Although Firth is the main man, he is strongly supported by Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. It should be noted Firth, Goode and Hoult are all English yet manage impeccable American accents, whilst Moore manages a posh London accent with a hint of dialect. Although the film revolves around Firth, they do get screen time and their characters add extra layers to an already richly thematic picture.
The story moves back and forth in time offering us glimpses of George’s life with his lover, Jim. This is not a film about being gay or the lifestyle. It is a film about love and the devastation of losing the love of your life. As Ford himself comments in the press notes it would be exactly the same story if it focused on George losing a wife. The emotional burden of grief would not change. In one scene, Moore’s character, Charlotte, annoys Falconer by insinuating their relationship was never real, only for him to point out her marriage only last nine years and they’d been together for 16 years and would have been longer if tragic events had not unfurled.
Another added pain in George’s life is that he cannot grieve openly. Homosexuality was of course illegal back in the 1960s, and the scene in which George is told of Jim’s death and that he’s not welcome at the funeral is absolutely heartbreaking. Again, Firth does it all in the eyes and with classic British reserve.
Unlike most films set in the 1960s, there’s no pop soundtrack, but a selection of cool tracks from Etta James and Serge Gainsbourg. It is used only fleetingly. Ford’s decision to have a good old fashioned film score is to be commended. The swirling, moody symphonies composed for the film are by Shigeru Umebayashi and Abel Korzeniowski. It is what most modern movies miss completely: a great score.
A Single Man has attracted award shouts for Colin Firth and it’s great to see him move away from his typical romantic lead role to play a very complicated man who has had love stolen from him.
Whether this signals a career for Tom Ford remains to be seen. There are moments when the film does resemble an advert for perfume; especially the opening shot of Firth swimming naked underwater, but that is a very minor grumble. A Single Man explores some pretty grand themes and does so with grace, humour and honesty. Maybe Firth will pick up a certain golden statue next month.
Rating: 
Release Dates:
12th Feb (UK)
25th Feb (Australia)
Related Stories
