A Single Man is a day in the life of George Falconer, who is grieving over the sudden death of his partner, 8 months prior. It is set in California in 1962. Public expression of his grief would have been socially unacceptable at that time and repression is a major theme of this film.
Colin Firth was nominated for an Academy Award for his part, he is in every scene and his performance is remarkable. He portrays a man barely able to keep his emotions in check despite years of practice of self-restraint. However, he is also aware that this discipline makes the liberation all the more sweet when it comes.
I can imagine that the idea, based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel, would have been difficult to pitch to a film studio, so it not a surprise that it was self-funded by the director, Tom Ford. It is his first film and he does an amazingly good job.
Everything about this movie is beautiful; the clothes, the sets, the music. I loved “A single Man” and I recommend it, but do expect to leave the cinema in a contemplative frame of mind.
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Good review. I enjoyed the film a lot.
JP
Great review! This film has such texture and taste.
Thank you very much! I appreciate the compliment because your reviews have such depth.
That’s very kind of you. Glad to be following your page.
Thank you for this reminder, this is my sort of film entertainment. Thought provoking and emotional. I can’t get enough of Colin Firth, such an expressive face.
I liked this film a lot; Colin Firth was amazing in it, possibly even better than he was in “The King’s Speech,” which he won an Oscar for. I love the character of George, so proper and withdrawn yet smart and funny. btw, I think “A Single Man” was a novel, not a short story, so you might want to look into that and change it if need be. Nice review!
Thank you, you are right! I will change this as soon as I get home. I thought I’d remembered reading it as one of a collection of 4 novellas years ago – but obviously not! Thanks.