Skepticism would be the one word to define my initial impression of "A Single Man" as it broke out of Toronto in early October. Not so much that Colin Firth's performance was highly praised, but because I couldn't fathom a decent film being constructed by a fashion designer, director Tom Ford, who seemingly had no experience in crafting film. I know it contradicts my usual mantra "every film has a chance", so go ahead and crucify me for that. While you're doing that I'm going to move on and tell you that my skepticism was unfounded and without a doubt, I was tremendously wrong. What I thought was going to be a glorified design film that just happened to have a great performance, ended up being a wonderfully shot film that aptly captures moments of devastation and resurrection. Also, as indicated, Colin Firth's performance is quite amazing.
But, let us start at the beginning. The film tells the desolate tale of George Falconer (Colin Firth), who after the death of his lover Jim (Matthew Goode)is having a hard time going on with his life. This isolation is further exacerbated by the fact that the film takes place in 1962 Los Angeles, a point and time in American history filled with paranoia and fear; as well as the lack of sympathy for those who fall under the title of homosexual. With this in mind, George internalizes his pain and love loss, as he trudges along day to day as an English professor. Yet, the film opens up on a day where things are going to change for George. It's on this day that he has decided to kill himself and rid his soul of the anguish that currently holds it down. Throughout this particular day, George plays it straight, as he knows by the end of it, he'll be gone. But, despite this rather grim plot description, I must say the film isn't entirely depressing. It's actually quite the opposite. Through the use of flashbacks and encounters with his neighbors and strangers, George's life begins to emanate different shades of colors. Suddenly what he once saw as a gray, dwindling world when he awoke, has become a world buzzing with technicolor. All of this leads to an end of the day that is both ironic and deserving.
The story itself is extremely introspective, but director Tom Ford does a fantastic job externalizing the beautiful and sorrow filled moments that fill George's day as he marches to death. With a wonderful understanding of a color palette, Ford is able to use color schemes as means for illustrating the breakdowns and breakthroughs George experiences. Whether it's when George is waking up, a moment where Ford uses a steel blue to conjure up George's stark disposition, or using a bursting glow of orange or red to show George's moments of brevity, Ford is always able to visually capture the mood and attitude of George's bleeding heart. Furthermore, Ford, along with his cinematographer Eduard Grau, is able to capture some beautiful and wonderful compositions in his shots. Some of which add a high amount of style that accompanies the depth Firth's performance possesses. In addition to this, Ford's fashion past seems to have assisted him well in the production aspect of the film, which boasts terrific designs that not only capture the early 60's, but also fills the film with fantastic style that matches the identities of each character. Once again, how foolish was I to sell Ford before I even gave him a chance? Apparently, I was very foolish.
Yet, the heart of the film resides in Colin Firth's wonderful performance. I have always respected Firth and I have always seen him as being a good actor, but he's opened my eyes to the depth he possesses, which is undeniably found in his portrayal of George. The character of George isn't one that expresses himself through dialogue anymore than he does through his body language. On the outside, Colin is able to capture George's daily struggle (and often faux performance) to muster the enthusiasm to live, but through his eyes and nuances we can sense a man who's on the way out both mentally and spiritually. In addition to the depressing aspect of George, Firth also allows for us to feel those small moments where George appreciates the life around him even if it's inevitably escaping him. A similar performance is also found from Julianne Moore, who plays George's good friend and former lover Charly. Typical to most of the characters Moore portrays, Charly is damaged goods and per usual, Moore is able to deliver a character with a vast amount of insecurities with great ease.
So, it should go without saying that the performances are the key entrance to the film, but it's Ford's artistic instinct that brings everything to life. Much like its protagonist, the film on the surface is bleak, but when looked back on, it's a rather romantic and lush look at love gained and lost, as well as the grieving process that all of us will eventually find ourselves wrapped up in. When coupled with a fantastic score, wonderful art design, and beautiful compositions, "A Single Man" is the type of film that invades mind, body, and soul through the bombardment of one's senses.
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