First things first, I had no idea what this movie was really about before I started it. All I knew was that Colin Firth's character had lost someone he loved and was trying to find meaning in his continued existence, and that it's directed by Tom Ford---I thought that someone he loved was Julianne Moore; damn you misleading movie posters!
From the get go the film opens with Colin Firth walking forward toward a dead body of a man to place a kiss ever so gently upon his lips; this was also when I said to myself, "say whaa..."
The film is about a teacher living in Los Angeles during the 1960's. He loses his "partner" in a tragic car accident and from that point on finds little to no meaning in continuing his own life; alone.
George Falconer (Colin Firth) is a college professor in Los Angeles (the film doesn't tell you where he teaches). After losing his partner Jim (Matthew Goode) he struggles with his day to day life, emotionally. He hates waking up and worst of all he's very afraid of becoming old and dying alone as he stresses in one of his classroom lectures. Throughout the film you see his sadness slowly unravel as he contemplates suicide at one point, and that's really it as far as the story goes.
However, the main strong point of this movie is Colin Firth. He carries this entire film on his back. He is an amazing actor and is very professionally candid; I was convinced that he actually is gay, because his sadness was just that convincing. It really gives the gay lifestyle another dimension other then the normal Hollywood cliche of gay people being "super" and "fabulous," you know what I am talking about.
Another strong point of the film is the cinematography. Every scene is picture perfect, literally a feast for the senses...especially if you're into any kind of design. The tints used in the film are very reminiscent of Soderbergh's vision for the film Traffic, in which the color of the scene tells the audience from who's point of view the story is being told. Except in A Single Man the color becomes all vivid whenever something happy or dare I say "colorful" (haha) happens in George's life.
This film is definitely worth watching, Tom Ford proves that not only can he be a fashion designer but also a talented film director.
Let me give you a fair warning though, because I know for some people, the subject of homosexuality being depicted in another form other than comedy can sometimes be taboo...the film gets pretty gay.
Anyways, all personal opinions aside this movie was wonderful. Every scene was shot so well; it's as if Tom Ford was just introducing his new line in a photoshoot...except in the form of a movie...yeah.
Suicide preparations
Remembering fond moments with Jim
Teaching
Carefully hitting on a student
Getting seduced
Hanging out with an old friend
4/4
-DK
