A Single Man (2009)
A Single Man is an impressive directorial debut for Tom Ford, who went on to direct Nocturnal Animals in 2016 - a film that is permanently burned into my memory. This is a completely different kind of beast; a sensitive, contemplative, sad picture that’s confidently directed, brilliantly shot and showcases an extraordinary performance by Colin Firth. Aside from an aspect of the conclusion and marketing campaign, it’s just about flawless.
In 1962, George Falconer (Colin Firth) still mourns his longtime partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), who died in a car accident eight months earlier. As he prepares to kill himself, he takes the time to admire the many beautiful things in life he will enjoy for the last time.
The marketing campaign (and DVD cover) prominently show Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, who plays George’s longtime friend, Charley. Looking at it, you’d think this was a romantic drama about a straight man, which it isn’t. It’s more than a little insulting that the Weinstein Company tried to hide the film’s gay identity to make it more commercially viable. What George is feeling is universal; it’s just that having a gay man in the 1960s as our protagonist amplifies the story's drama and emotions. Jim was the most important part of George’s life but he isn’t allowed to go to his dead lover’s funeral. His oldest friend, Charley, doesn’t understand what kind of relationship they had. She assumes it could never be as fulfilling or ‘real’ as the one she thinks he is now free to have with her. Every time George sees another gay man, he’s reminded of what he will miss. Jim’s lips, the quiet, intimate conversations late at night, the smell of his hair, etc. In theory, George could move on and find someone else. It’s not unfathomable considering the people he meets but every first encounter feels uncomfortable. So much of the courting has to be done in code, gauging if the other person is saying what you think they’re saying. It's exhausting. Even if the men he meets would reciprocate his feelings, it wouldn’t be the same. With the Cuban Missile Crisis and the threat of nuclear armageddon looming in the background, what’s the point of even trying?
If it weren’t for the sadness George feels, the camerawork would make this film a gorgeous celebration of life. The shots of people jumping and swimming in water, the soft light of mornings and black-and-white photographs whose true meaning is only known to the people who were there all transport you to a vivid world of infinite possibilities. George is a very serious man but at one point, we hear him laugh. His laugh is so goofy and seemingly out of place it makes you see this whole other person who’s buried deep in grief and is itching to come out. The connection he makes with Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) is full of the same excitement you feel when you first catch the eye of someone you really like. It gives you hope that this movie won’t be as sad as it’s presenting itself to be… but then it is. A Single Man is not afraid of its gay characters but it is ultimately yet another variant of the "depressed, lonely gay man who cannot find happiness drama". All you’d have to do is cut it off a few minutes before the end credits and you’d have a far less typical film. A Single Man is still terrific but it succumbs to a cliché at the end.
Despite the disappointing conclusion, A Single Man is very much worth seeing. The performance by Colin Firth alone would be enough. He plays such a reserved character that at a glance, he might be difficult to read but in the scant 100 minutes the film plays for, you get to know him so well you see everything he feels even through the smallest visual ticks or the most unassuming words. Then, there’s the direction by Tom Ford and the cinematography. This is a gorgeous, thoughtful film. (On DVD, August 23, 2021)
