A Single Man
Directed by: Tom Ford
Cast: Colin Firth, Nicholas Hoult, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: December 25, 2009
PLOT: Set in Los Angeles in 1962, a 50-something professor (Firth) is mourning the loss of his lover, and trying to come to grips with a life he doesn't want to live.
WHO'S IT FOR? It's a period piece. It's not a focus on gay lifestyles from the 60s as much as it is looking at love and loss. If you like Firth, you'll definitely want to see this.
EXPECTATIONS: I knew nothing. I'm always a fan of that. I didn't even know if it was a comedy or drama (it's a drama). I did have a hunch it might have to do with just one man, instead of a whole pile of them.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS:
Colin Firth as George: Firth is used to playing the reserved, slightly nerdy characters who don't quite fit in, but we find extremely lovable (think Bridget Jones or Love Actually). Here, he's playing a similar type of character but he's finally given an extreme weight to carry as well, and he does a great job with it. George is a professor who is dealing with the depression of losing Jim, the love of this life. Because of the time, he must remain closed off, and isn't allowed to openly grieve. Score: 9
Nicholas Hoult as Kenny: Wow, About a Boy is all grown up. I wouldn't have recognized him, but Hoult is the kid from the Hugh Grant movie. Here, he does a great job as the student who is charmed, and concerned for his professor. I could have used one or two (or 30) less times with him saying, "Sir," but I can't exactly hold that against him. Score: 8
Julianne Moore as Charley: An aging British woman is the perfect best friend for George, except of course for her desire for him. The dinner they share is a great showcase of embracing, but not fully understanding being gay in the 1960s. We have to wait almost an hour for Moore to really be a part of things, but she pulls off the accent and adds depth and comedy to the film. Score: 8
Matthew Goode as Jim: In the very beginning of the film we find out that Jim dies in a car accident. We learn about George and Jim through flashbacks that truly make Jim seem absolutely perfect. It's that sense of true love from Geroge that becomes the driving force in our understanding of George's depression. Score: 7
TALKING: We get to hear old saying like, "Light in the loafers" and "puff" which is always good times. The film does a good job of showcasing George's depression as he goes in and out of the day. Plus, the phone call informing George of Jim's death is a powerful moment that never gets preachy. Score: 8
SIGHTS: It's a great play of color. It's something I really don't feel like I've seen before. George is occasionally lifted out of depression from a smell, or person, or moment and we know it because colors suddenly come into full clarity. Otherwise, we're in the drab, depressed state with George and many grays. It's a difficult balance to pull of without making it look like a gimmick, but they do it almost perfectly. Score: 9
SOUNDS: George and Charley dance to some classic rock and the score does exactly what it is supposed to ... it keeps up in the intended emotional moment. Score: 7
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: A failed actor/gigolo attempts to pick George up outside a liquor store. It sends you through an array of emotions from being worried (that he might hurt George) to being hopeful that George is coming out of his depression.
ENDING: Uplifting and sad. It's a perfect, and surprising way to end the film.
QUESTIONS: Did you notice the voice on the phone delivering the news to George that Jim died? That was Jon Hamm, I bet my life on it. Was anyone else jealous of an entire drawer of dry cleaned shirts in George's drawer? Can you believe this is Ford's first film as a director?
REWATCHABILITY: I will want to give it some time, and though there is a lot of depression and grieving in this film, I would definitely sit through it again.
OVERALL
Waking up hurts. Most of us have been there before. Each day brings moments where we can snap out of it, but the pain returns, the thoughts of the past return. A Single Man does a fantastic job of drawing us in and showing that world. Tom Ford's first film is an impressive debut. Not only does he get good performances out of is actors, but changing the color schemes is a simply and terribly effective emotional change as well. George loved Jim for 16 years. He couldn't share that with the world, only with Jim. There is talk about the driving force of the fear of things. A Single Man attempts to show that love is the only battle against fear, and one man's struggle with that.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10