'A Single Man' review

Colin Firth (Credit: Eduard Grau/Weinstein Co.)

A day in the life of British college professor George Falconer (Colin Firth), who’s living in Los Angeles in the early ‘60s and still trying to come to terms with the death of his romantic partner Jim (Matthew Goode). The two people who play the largest roles in his day are long time friend and fellow expat Charley (Julianne Moore) and alluring young student Kenny (Nicholas Hoult).

The buzz: This adaptation of the landmark 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood marks the directorial debut of fashion icon Tom Ford (who started his own label after building a name for himself at Gucci and is the man responsible for the Vanity Fair cover featuring a naked Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson). Although Ford’s venture into the film world could have been seen as a mere vanity project, “A Single Man” generated great buzz in its world premiere at the Venice film festival and earned a Best Actor prize for Firth.

The verdict: Ford proves himself a natural filmmaker and gets the performance of a lifetime out of Firth (all apologies to fans of his work as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice”). A thoroughly moving exploration of heartbreak, “A Single Man” is as achingly beautiful as it is achingly sad. Ford’s gorgeously glossy veneer could be viewed as superficial, if he wasn’t so invested in exploring George’s interior life. Even as it studies one man’s loss, the movie doesn’t completely ignore the politics of the time (or today) and positions homophobia alongside big topics in the ‘60s culture of fear—communists, Cuba, black power, Elvis’ appeal to teens. George’s sexuality only heightens his status as an outsider, increasing his sense of loneliness and difficulty moving on. Although this is clearly Firth’s film, the supporting cast holds their own—Moore delivers flashy scene-stealing work that’s emotionally potent in its own right, Hoult smolders appropriately (and utterly unexpectedly if you only remember him from “About a Boy”) and Goode conveys just how much George has lost with only a handful of scenes. Ford’s film focuses on a specific tragedy, yet taps into emotions that just might be universal.

Did you know? “A Single Man’s” production designer Dan Bishop has worked on all three seasons of TV’s “Mad Men,” making him an expert in achieving ‘60s authenticity on screen. But the connections don’t end there, it’s become an open secret that “Man Men” star Jon Hamm has a key voiceover role in “A Single Man” during a pivotal telephone between George and a member of Jim’s family.

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