A Single Man

[simons]

so i read the book a few days ago.. has anyone else? i have a question about something that im confused about from the book..

 

[adore dior]

thanks for sharing that clip Thefrenchy!!!!! i bursting to watch this now

 

[Thefrenchy]

New York Times review.

A Love That Speaks Its Name: A College Professor’s Fateful Day
By MANOHLA DARGIS

The face of grief that the actor Colin Firth wears in “A Single Man” is crumpled and gray. There is little movement in the face initially: it’s a beautiful and gently furrowed mask, not yet old, despite the small brushstrokes of white at the temples. You might think that gravity alone was tugging at its mouth. But George, the middle-aged professor and single man of the title whom Mr. Firth plays with a magnificent depth of feeling, has had his heart broken, and the pieces are still falling.

The film, directed by Tom Ford, follows the outlines of the landmark 1964 novel of the same title by Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), the openly gay British-born author whose story “Sally Bowles” was turned first into the play “I Am a Camera” and later the musical and movie “Cabaret.” An intensely, at times uncomfortably, intimate work of fiction, “A Single Man” condenses George’s story — much of his very life — into one emotion- and event-charged day. What makes the day special, and the book too, is George’s existential condition. George is single. And he is a man. But he is also a homosexual, which helps set him and his lusting, fading body apart from almost everyone in his life.

But other things distinguish George, including his profound grief over the death of his longtime lover, Jim (Matthew Goode), seen in intermittent flashback. The film opens with an image of George slowly sinking naked in water, a vision suggestive of rebirth and fatal submersion. This is immediately followed by a starkly different image of him slowly entering, as if in a trance, a disquieting tableau in which Jim and a terrier lie dead in a snowy field next to a wrecked automobile and a large, vivid blot of blood. Carefully, George lowers himself next to his dead lover and tenderly kisses his mouth, a gesture that seems to cause George — who had actually been sleeping and presumably dreaming — to wake in his bed.

Numbness follows, as do routine, work, sorrow and perhaps another kind of awakening. Set in 1962 — news of the Cuban missile crisis crackles through the air — the film tracks George from the brutal loneliness of his morning through his day and transformative night. Along the way, he passes in and out of the Los Angeles area college where he teaches Huxley to bored students who stare at him with curiosity when the subject turns to invisible minorities and fear. He crosses paths and wits with a flirty student, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), and a charming hustler, Carlos (Jon Kortajarena), while also making time for his close friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), a British expat like George. At one point, he buys some bullets.

It’s axiomatic, at least for Chekhov and a lot of Hollywood directors that if you introduce a gun in the first act, it must go off in the third. Mr. Ford, who shares screenwriting credit with David Scearce, introduces a gun largely because the novel has so little obvious dramatic tension. The gun is a matter of narrative convenience that sometimes works, if sometimes not, with the bits Mr. Ford borrows from Pedro Almodóvar and Wong Kar-wai. Mr. Ford, for instance, partly frames George’s encounter with the hustler in front of a billboard for Hitchcock’s “Psycho” featuring a wild-eyed Janet Leigh, an image that recalls a similar shot in Mr. Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother” and invokes the unsettlingly sexual menace of “Psycho.”

Bringing Hitchcock and Mr. Almodóvar into the picture is risky because it creates a ridiculously lofty level of expectation. O.K., show me, you think. (It also intimates that the director and the audience belong to the same cine club, which can seem like a form of pandering.) But Mr. Ford, one of the most famous names in fashion and in luxury branding — he was the longtime creative director of Gucci — has taken an enormous chance just by taking on “A Single Man,” a foundational text in modern gay literature. The novelist Edmund White, for one, called the book “the first truly liberated gay novel in English.” That kind of legacy would have intimidated a lot of inexperienced directors, but Mr. Ford betrays few signs of intimidation.

Mr. Firth’s delicately shaded performance no doubt helped steady Mr. Ford’s nerves. Certainly, the director knows how to exploit his actor’s reserve to terrific effect, as when he sets the camera in front of Mr. Firth’s face in one critical scene and just lets the machine record the tremors of emotion cracking the facade. It’s hard to know if Mr. Ford’s most flamboyant visual flourish, the use of a changeable palette to show shifts in George’s mood — the character’s normally gray face floods with color in the presence of another life force, like Kenny — was born out of a filmmaking conceit or a lack of confidence. Whatever the case, while the color changes are initially distracting, Mr. Firth’s performance soon makes you forget them.

Mr. Ford has excellent taste in lead actors — Mr. Goode and Ms. Moore are very fine — and in cinematic influences. But he hasn’t fully learned how to work inside the moving image plane, a space in which people and objects must be dynamically engaged rather than prettily arranged, as they occasionally are here. And at times his taste seems too impeccable, art-directed for a maximum sale, as in a black-and-white flashback that brings to mind a perfume advertisement. In a film by Mr. Wong, whose influence is evident in the visuals and on the elegiac score, a luxuriant bloom, a curlicue of smoke and the curve of a lover’s back express what the characters themselves cannot, rather than the filmmaker’s own personal style. The composer Shigeru Umebayashi has written music for several of Mr. Wong’s films and contributed to this one.

That Mr. Ford has placed so much weight on Mr. Firth suggests that he knows how valuable his actor is to his first effort. And while “A Single Man” has its flaws, many of these fade in view of the performance and the power of Isherwood’s story. Part of the radical importance of Isherwood’s novel is its insistence on the absolute ordinariness of George’s life, including with Jim, whose relationship together is pictured only briefly in both the novel and the film, and yet reverberates deeply (then as now). Mr. Ford’s single man might be less common than Isherwood’s, a bit too exquisitely dressed. But with Mr. Firth, Mr. Ford has created a gay man troubled by ordinary grief and haunted by joy, a man apart and yet like any other.

“A Single Man” is rated R. (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.) The film features a lot of smoking and drinking, the usual adult expletives and one startling urination fantasy.

A SINGLE MAN

Opens on Friday in Manhattan. Directed by Tom Ford; written by Mr. Ford and David Scearce, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood; director of photography, Eduard Grau; edited by Joan Sobel; music by Abel Korzeniowski; additional music by Shigeru Umebayashi; production designer, Dan Bishop; produced by Mr. Ford, Chris Weitz, Andrew Miano and Robert Salerno; released by the Weinstein Company. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. This film is rated R.

WITH: Colin Firth (George), Julianne Moore (Charley), Matthew Goode (Jim), Nicholas Hoult (Kenny) and Jon Kortajarena (Carlos).

- NYTIMES.COM

 

[adore dior]

it came out yesterday but it's not going to be viewed in my home town (tears)

has anyone seen it yet. i need to live vicariously through someone

 

[Ochi Chernye]

Anyone know which cities it's showing at? I'm dying to watch it.

 

[dajrekshn]

is it just me, or everything tom ford gets his hands on, turns into gold?
i couldn't believe when i first heard that he did this movie.

 

[LetThemEatCake]

It was nice that today, he was on TV with Charlie Rose and then on NPR with Terry Gross.

I cant wait to see the film! I'm convinced of Tom's genius creative soul...I'd give up paying certain bills to have the entire line of the Tom Ford Private Blend Fragrance Collection that's how obsessive I've become.

 

[simons]

saw the movie. umm.. yeah don't expect too much.

im sorry but either im not intelligent enough to understand the film but its seriously a little pretentious, all style no substance. i read the book before watching it (really good by the way) and i think that played a major role in my disappointment. it tried to follow the book but i felt that those parts were too forced, actually a lot of things were forced.

the scenes were beautiful but the movie can be compared to a student director with a gigantic budget. the acting was good, julianne moore was great! the drama that tom ford wanted to create with the gun was unnecessary, so was the scene with jon k. script was not smooth, bad transitions..

reading the book i felt attached to george and it all felt natural, this movie was trying too hard. im not a director by any means but i could pick up on how ford wanted to shoot the scenes, like it was added to the movie just so he can have the imagery. there should have been more focus on the story.

ok rant over sorry. again read the book, maybe after so you're not too disappointed. it was such a good book the film overall is just really shallow. and enough with the "sir" !

 

[LUXXX]

I plan on seeing this Christmas, I'm very into visual films though...I love The Virgin Suicides and Marie-Antoinette, I love Mad Men...so I think I will enjoy this.

 

[kasper!]

Will this be available at Hong Kong?

 

[roisin]

i'm going to have to agree with simons. i saw the movie a few weeks ago and had great expectations for it, but then was let down. visually the movie was beautiful, don't get me wrong, and the acting was very good as well. but the entire time i just couldn't get it out of my head that "this is a tom ford movie" and it was a bit, dare i say it....boring. maybe it was just me because the film seems to be getting good reviews, i guess i was just expecting something else.

 

[hautechild]

It's coming out in London next month but it's previewing at the Curzon and Tom Ford will be doing a Q&A.

I already have tickets

 

[Spike413]

Finally saw it and I thought it was fantastic.

I completely disagree with simons when he said it was style over substance. I read the book as well and loved it, and I thought the movie did a really good job of telling the story, which couldn't have been easy since so much of the story takes place in George's head. I think the addition of the suicide plot actually made the ending better.

And as every critic in the western world has already said, Colin Firth was amazing.

 

[KoV]

Pros:
- Colin Firth’s extraordinary performance. He really created a character. While watching I didn’t feel like I was watching Colin, I felt like I was watching George. My pick for Best Actor.
- Julianne Moore’s performance was also wonderful. Not my win, but she’d make a top 5 for supporting Actress.
- The costumes/makeup/hair in the film are incredible. Really and truly incredible. I suppose that’s expected seeing as it’s directed by one of the most talented and successful men in fashion. I really couldn’t get enough of the women’s eye makeup, Juliane’s up-do, Doris, who was just beautiful and fascinating to watch. The men in their slimming suits. Just..too perfect.
- The score but amazing as well. Far and away my favorite of the year.
- Everytime there was silliness, flirtation, or just laughing in this film it was at it’s best. That’s when it really became somethnig I’ve never really seen before. Things with these kind of actors and this kind of subject matter and just period pieces in general, they rarely find any time for fun. But this film did and I loved that.
- The characters and their relationships with each other. Perfectly realized.
- George’s house was a wonderful setting. Pretty much an architectural masterpiece of glass and wood.
- The ticking clock aspect of the movie. It’s not in the book, but I think it was very wise of Ford to add it to the film.

Cons:
- What I COULD get enough of was the numerous out-of-focus shots zooming on on people’s eyes, lips, flowers, etc. I know why it was there, but I just think it was over-kill and a poor decision on Ford/the art-director’s part.
- the ending felt like a let-down on many levels.

It always feels weird to say that a film you pretty much loved is a disappointment, but I have to say it about this film because my expectations were so high. Overall, It was in most ways a great, masterpiece of a film. But there were a few things that deterred me from fully loving it. So, until I re-watch it I’m giving it a 9/10

 

[Thefrenchy]

I'd do a PROS/CONS list like you KINGofVERSAILLES, but I only have pros about this movie Anyway, I'm quoting you because I agree with everything you listed...

Pros:
- Colin Firth’s extraordinary performance. He really created a character. While watching I didn’t feel like I was watching Colin, I felt like I was watching George. My pick for Best Actor.
- Julianne Moore’s performance was also wonderful. Not my win, but she’d make a top 5 for supporting Actress.
- The costumes/makeup/hair in the film are incredible. Really and truly incredible. I suppose that’s expected seeing as it’s directed by one of the most talented and successful men in fashion. I really couldn’t get enough of the women’s eye makeup, Juliane’s up-do, Doris, who was just beautiful and fascinating to watch. The men in their slimming suits. Just..too perfect.
- The score but amazing as well. Far and away my favorite of the year.
- Everytime there was silliness, flirtation, or just laughing in this film it was at it’s best. That’s when it really became somethnig I’ve never really seen before. Things with these kind of actors and this kind of subject matter and just period pieces in general, they rarely find any time for fun. But this film did and I loved that.
- The characters and their relationships with each other. Perfectly realized.
- George’s house was a wonderful setting. Pretty much an architectural masterpiece of glass and wood.
- The ticking clock aspect of the movie. It’s not in the book, but I think it was very wise of Ford to add it to the film.

I would also add:
- The music: perfectly chosen for every moments. It adds even more intensity to the movie and it was just divine. I hope they do/did release it. The scene when George and Kenny swim in the ocean... Just wow.

- Tom Ford's aesthetic translated in the movie: everything is just perfect. Clean. Beautiful. The little girl's (whose name I forgot) outfits, hair, the way her socks were put and when George starts putting his things together before trying to, you know... (I won't spoil for those who haven't seen it ) really translated this IMO. I was also amazed by the quality of the clothes. Kenny's mohair sweater was pure heaven. So was George's robe de chambre. I loved how you were to see how much the clothes were beautiful. In details

- Tom Ford's talent as a director: I loved the zooms, the lighting, EVERYTHING. And he managed really well with the flashbacks.


That's definitely one of my favourite movie ever. It has everything I look for in a movie: amazing acting, amazing directing, amazing music, and amazing clothes. The story is so touching and I can't get over how beautiful it was overall. The ending was so movie. I'm so not the kind of person who cries over movies but it made me and my friend (and maaany people in the audience ) cry like babies Thank you Tom. Thank you.

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

it s not playing in my country so am gonna watch it online.

i just saw a rerun of Oprah when Tom Ford was on. He s a perfectionist, and am so happy he has a lot of success with his first movie

 

[twilight fairy]

I loved loved loved it. I can't believe there's only three pages worth of discussion of the film though. Would've expected more from such a fashion savvy crowd as tFS.

 

[electrichearts]

This has absolutely no chance of showing in my country, but I will download it as soon as I can. I've been hearing nothing but praise about the movie, and have been meaning to watch it since I first started reading about it on blogs. And okay, Nicholas Hoult is pretty damn fine..

 

[saann]

This movie was fantastic. It was really incredible and I was blown away by how much emotion there was to every scene without overdoing it with dialogue. Ford really proved himself with this one. It is refreshing to see a movie with such a distinct style, something I feel a lot of directors lack these days. You could really tell he put his heart and soul into making this. And yes, it was very stylish but I don't see it as a bad thing. it's clear that fashion has played a big part in Fords life and of course it's going to put it's mark on what he creates, especially when what he creates is close to his heart.

Colin Firth was incredible, one of the best performances I've ever seen. That scene with the phone call alone is some of the best acting I've ever seen.

I think Tom did a really good job with all the characters in this, no matter how little screen time they had they were still very multidimensional and distinct, something that many directors fail with when dealing with minor characters. I can't wait to see him do more movies, especially since you can tell his love for them (especially old hollywood films I think). I was disappointed in the lack of attention given to this. I really believe this will be a movie you can watch in ten years and still find incredible.

I have only good things to say about this.

 

[Pedro]

The worst movie I saw recently.