A Single Man
1 March 2010

This is one of those films you need to watch on a big screen to fully appreciate just how beautiful it is. Those colours, the grain of the film (real or digitised, I have no idea), those costumes… oh my.

One of my (now former) colleagues is an Isherwood. She wishes she was related to Christopher Isherwood, who wrote the novel A Single Man (from which the film was adapted). I’ve got the book on my wishlist, too. It was Ms Isherwood who recommended the film that I was planning to watch, but wasn’t adamant that I needed the cinema experience.

From what I understand, a lot has been said (written) about the homosexual storyline. It could have been a straight storyline and still be an amazing film. It wasn’t the fact that George Falconer had a boyfriend, but the loss and loneliness he felt at losing him that actually hurt (although the theme of minority groups clearly wouldn’t have worked otherwise). The easy comfort and contentment we saw between George and Jim in the flashbacks almost made me cry because I know how mature a relationship must be to reach that level of intimacy, and losing that suddenly and unexpectedly would be unimaginable.

Colin Firth really needs to win that Oscar, he is such an excellent actor who can communicate a whole range of complex emotion with just one look. Tom Ford also needs to win awards for his brilliant direction. And we all need to thank the fridge guy.

  • Verdict: Go watch it now. It's gorgeous and starts with a naked Colin Firth; that's a win-win.

2 Comments

  1. Hmm, the nearest theater showing it is 18 miles. Though it is somewhere I frequently go for other reasons.

    Not especially enticed by Colin naked. Is it me or did the Telegraph story not say why the fridge guy convinced him to do it, or was it just that he was interrupted from hitting send by the arrival?

    Comment by Terry — 1 March 2010 @ 7:42 pm

  2. The Telegraph story reported on the speech, which said he didn't get to send the email because the fridge guy turned up.

    The film is very worth watching in the cinema, IMHO.

    Comment by Andrea — 2 March 2010 @ 11:03 am

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