A Single Man

Editorial

A Single Man is directed by fashion designer Tom Ford, the saviour of Gucci, a fashion brand name in his own right and that bloke who cavorted with Scarlett and Keira on the cover of Vanity Fair. Ford's directorial debut, anchored by a career-best Colin Firth performance, has a strong shot at being the most thoughtful, deeply felt, moving movie experience of the year.

Based on Christopher Isherwood's seminal 1964 novel, Ford and co-writer Scearce delicately map out the (potentially) last day in the life of college academic George Falconer, who can't face his future, having lost the love of his life, Jim, in a car crash.

Rather than any histrionics, the film follows George's almost Japanese ritualistic preparations for suicide and how real life complicates them: a discussion about literature with student Kenny, whose glint in his eye suggests he has more on his mind than books; a run-in with an impossibly good-looking James Dean lookalike hustler (Jon Kortajarena); and, best of all, a boozy night in with old friend, London socialite Charley. Julianne Moore makes for a fantastic lush, lunging at George, conveying with Firth the entire feel and history of their relationship in a single scene.

As you might expect, Ford gets '60s style down pat, but this isn't period pastiche a la Far From Heaven. Occasionally his passions get the better of him but for the most part, this is impeccably composed, astonishingly self-assured debut filmmaking.

A Single Man is patently a labour of love, and you can feel his commitment to the content in every frame. Yet, in many ways, A Single Man really is Firth's show.

Ian Freer