A Single Man

Colin Firth as George

In tribute to 25 years of The Movie Show with David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz I thought I'd play reviewer for the evening. Sometimes a movie has every element so perfectly combined as to make it almost hypnotic. That's exactly the sensation I had with The Weinstein Company's 'A Single Man' (2009) directed by Tom Ford. The fact that Ford, a designer famous for his role at Gucci, cut his directing chops on such  melancholy material is enlightening in itself. With a cast that would make any director swoon the movie slinks moodily through 1960's LA. It's based on a novel with the same name by Christopher Isherwood. In fact the film focuses on the mood of George reflecting on his lonely existence after the death of his lover in an automobile accident. The fact that his lover was male, and this is frowned on by society at this time, does little to assuage his grief and leads him to plan his suicide.

Without spoiling this for those of you who haven't seen the movie... in the immortal words of Molly Meldrum... 'Do yourself a favour!' The cinematography conveys a pensive beauty and Ford's meticulous eye for detail ensures the sets are elegantly framed in all their 60's glory. He has the uncanny ability to make you feel the sun on your skin or the scent of Charlotte's perfume. Small wonder he led the Gucci group to new heights of financial and design success. There's a part of me that found this a very dark movie but the flip-side was that it was also a story of compassion and warmth. (And I'm a serious sucker for a good ending!)  If you saw this film what did you think?

Colin Firth going against the grain?

Matthew Goode as George's Partner

Julianne Moore as Charlotte