A Single Man (2009)
As a fashion designer Tom Ford has imposed his artistic merits in his directional debut of Christopher Isherwood's novel. Although "A Single Man" is a small film, spanning over a minimal time period, Ford has ensured that it still holds a significant level of beauty. The juxtaposition of colour and the contrasting lighting, switching between a black and white and a highly saturated colour scheme, engraves George in a world of uniformity and expectations, but also the beauty that is to be found in the ugliest of things. It is a shame given many of the film's stylish qualities that Ford has shown his inexperience as a filmmaker by lingering on these visual aspects. The first act of the film is leisurely paced because of Ford's insistence for slow-motion montages that shift in and out of colour and focus. It is certainly pretty, but it also remains a distraction from the film's core performances. Colin Firth, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, was in fact pretty great as the lonely and depressed George, but I don't think his performance was necessarily Oscar material. Julianne Moore has far too little screen time as Firth's one-time lover and now best friend. She does much with the little she's given, but her time on screen is more of a tease than anything else, tantalizing but leaving the audience wanting more, just like the rest of the film. "A Single Man" proves fashion designer Tom Ford to be a competent first-time director, but the film feels oddly slight and insubstantial, and is ultimately unsatisfying.
- My Rating: 6.50/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86% (7.3/10)
- IMDb: 7.9/10
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