A Single Man Review
Saturday, March 27, 2010
, Posted by Should I See It at 6:40 PM
Film: A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford
Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult.
Plot: A gay college professor in 1960s Los Angeles struggles come to terms with the death of his lover. The film follows him on the day he intends to commit suicide.
Let me be clear, A Single Man is not a movie for choc top eating or popcorn munching. Any noise emanating from the audience is a distraction. Not only because this film is very quiet (literally), but this film requires focus in order to fully appreciate the beauty and the detail. Director (and former fashion designer) Tom Ford has been criticised for overdesigning the film, but the highly stylised visuals works in its favour. Going into the film I did expect it to look good (what else can you expect from the man who single-handedly revived Gucci?), but what I did expect was for Ford to be a decent storyteller. Every frame has been carefully constructed to let you a little bit more into George’s world: to show what it’s like for a man struggling to get through the day as normally as possible. I felt as though I was watching film as art as opposed to film just telling a story.
The film tends to lose a little bit of pace in the final act. The minimal dialogue wears a little thin and the film has a little bit of a struggle to keep itself moving all the way to the end.
Thankfully we have Colin Firth in the leading role to distract us from the pacing problems. He gives a wonderfully un-Colin-Firth-like performance as George, the man at the centre of the story.
Without Firth’s skill, without his ability to withhold and yet display so much, George would disappear, swallowed by the heightened visuals. But Firth holds his ground. You only need to watch Firth's face as he is told of his lover's death. The camera presses slowly in. You see his disbelief, his struggle to maintain control, his anger that he cannot attend the funeral. It’s truly a marvellous scene, for which Firth deserved the actual Oscar, not just the nomination.
As for the supporting cast: Matthew Goode plays George’s lover Jim, seen through flashbacks, gives a performance that I actually for once, like. But I felt his character lacked definition. But then I suppose its George’s idea of Jim that’s important. George cannot live without him, whatever type of man he might be.
Julianne Moore’s role as George’s perpetually drunk friend Charley, is a little more than an extended cameo.
Nicholas Hoult is good, as college student Kenny, who takes an interest in George, but not quite up to par with Firth. I see a lot of potential in him, but maybe I was distracted by the amount of make up or fake tan that he was wearing. I’m pretty sure he had more make up on his face that the rest of the cast combined (females included).
However, I did find the relationship between George and Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) to be a little disconcerting: mainly because of the whole teacher/ student thing. I also am uncomfortable with George replacing Jim with Kenny. People tell me that George want replacing Jim, he just found something to live for…. But I disagree. So much is made of the age difference between George and Jim and George and Kenny that the film seems to be drawing an intentional parallel between Jim and Kenny. Is there really that much difference between one you can’t live without and the one that you can live for?
The film tends to lose a little bit of pace in the final act. The minimal dialogue wears a little thin and the film has a little bit of a struggle to keep itself moving all the way to the end.
Thankfully we have Colin Firth in the leading role to distract us from the pacing problems. He gives a wonderfully un-Colin-Firth-like performance as George, the man at the centre of the story.
Without Firth’s skill, without his ability to withhold and yet display so much, George would disappear, swallowed by the heightened visuals. But Firth holds his ground. You only need to watch Firth's face as he is told of his lover's death. The camera presses slowly in. You see his disbelief, his struggle to maintain control, his anger that he cannot attend the funeral. It’s truly a marvellous scene, for which Firth deserved the actual Oscar, not just the nomination.
As for the supporting cast: Matthew Goode plays George’s lover Jim, seen through flashbacks, gives a performance that I actually for once, like. But I felt his character lacked definition. But then I suppose its George’s idea of Jim that’s important. George cannot live without him, whatever type of man he might be.
Julianne Moore’s role as George’s perpetually drunk friend Charley, is a little more than an extended cameo.
Nicholas Hoult is good, as college student Kenny, who takes an interest in George, but not quite up to par with Firth. I see a lot of potential in him, but maybe I was distracted by the amount of make up or fake tan that he was wearing. I’m pretty sure he had more make up on his face that the rest of the cast combined (females included).
However, I did find the relationship between George and Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) to be a little disconcerting: mainly because of the whole teacher/ student thing. I also am uncomfortable with George replacing Jim with Kenny. People tell me that George want replacing Jim, he just found something to live for…. But I disagree. So much is made of the age difference between George and Jim and George and Kenny that the film seems to be drawing an intentional parallel between Jim and Kenny. Is there really that much difference between one you can’t live without and the one that you can live for?
Should I See It?
A Single Man Official Site here.
