Movie Review: A Single Man (2009)
A simple look at grand ideas and elegantly told along the way
Photo: The Weinstein Co.
Tom Ford's A Single Man is a fascinating film in that the effect it has on you is as singular as the title. It presents grand ideas inside it's extraordinary simplicity and asks complex questions that can be answered with basic human compassion. It's a film that is equally intimate as it is inviting. If it didn't lose a little of its luster in its third act it would have been a major contender for Oscar's Best Picture, but to say it is potentially one of the ten best films of the year isn't a bad consolation.
The cast includes Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Ginnifer Goodwin, Nicholas Hoult, Keri Lynn Pratt and Teddy Sears. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"A Single Man" is a The Weinstein Co. release, directed by Tom Ford and is rated R for some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content. The running time is 1 hour 39 minutes.
The show-stopper comes in the film's second act when George has dinner with Charley, an old friend played by Julianne Moore who has problems of her own, but most of them seem to be drowned in alcohol and cigarette smoke. The past the two have is hinted at, but not expanded upon, however by this time you have already created feelings for these characters. You see where the film is leading and you don't like what's in the darkness around the corner. You see laughter between the characters and a moment shared. You wish it could go on longer, but have a suspicious feeling it will all come to a tragic end.
Unfortunately, I felt the film betrayed the trust it had built with its audience in its third act. In an effort to stay clear of spoilers I won't go into detail, but will say the film takes on a much larger metaphorical approach as compared to the much more emotional and straight-forward approach used to that point. Fortunately, the character Ford and Firth have conspired to create is so likable and fully fleshed out you can't help but feel for the man and hope for the best.
Firth can absolutely do no wrong in what is easily the best performance I have seen him in.
"It actually hurts to wake up," says George early on and you feel that and you see his pain on screen as his mood changes are reflected in Ford's ever-changing color palette. Matthew Goode in just a handful of flashback moments is able to convince us there was actually something between these two men, turning the relationship into something more than a mere mentioning, and making it a reality. And Julianne Moore as Charley is no slouch either, donning a British accent as she, and commanding our attention during the limited amount of screen time she's given.
Set in Los Angeles in 1962, A Single Man is so secluded and quiet you occasionally forget what's going on in the background, but once you are reminded the weight of the story being told increases and at times it can feel like a lot as the emotional toll of the primary story weighs on your mind.
It's not perfect, as my concerns over the film's finale do set it back some, but as a debut feature for Tom Ford, best known as the fashion designer that brought Gucci out of bankruptcy, this is an excellent coming out party and I only hope he manages to do it again his second time around.
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Brad, I was hoping that after reading your review I'd understand the attraction this film holds for you, but alas, I still don't get it. I first learned of the movie on one of my weekly trips to Apple Trailers. I clicked on it, read the brief synopsis and decided it was worth a closer look. But I didn't make it passed the halfway point when I exited the link out of boredom and clicked the next trailer on the list. After seeing that you had placed 'A Single Man' on your Oscar list, I went back to finish viewing the trailer. I wasn't impressed. If I didn't know I was watching a trailer, I'd have thought it was a film student's artsy-fartsy attempt at a commercial for eye-makeup. Sorry, Brad, I'm going pass on this one.
Can't wait to see this one – and for me, the trailer is one of the BESt trailers I have seen in a while! It was very Almodovar-esque :)
What about Nicholas Hoult's performance as Kenny. From the script that I read of this film his character factors in to the film as much as Goode and Moore, both of which you managed to mention. So why no mention of Hoult?
@w: Primarily because his character plays into the third act issues I briefly touched upon and I didn't want to spoil the film for readers. I debated it, but felt it was best left out seeing how I felt I had already given enough reasons as to why I liked it so much. Although it seems I didn't give enough to convince LouAnn.
@Brad Brevet: I guess I understand what you mean, regarding the third act and how Hoult's character figures into that. Just seemed odd to not include or even mention his name at all, or even briefly comment on his performance.