A Single Man (Ford, 2009)
January 17th 2010 19:07
A Single Man (Ford, 2009)
Written January 16, 2010
A Single Man is based upon a Christopher Isherwood novel of the same name, which is a beautiful, witty, and bittersweet character study of a gay man in 1960’s California coping with life after the death of his lover. If one is expecting a completely faithful adaptation, you will not find it. Most films, even the small independents, do feel the need to enhance the narrative with dramatic plot points. A Single Man does this as well. In fact, it’s a rather major plot point which drastically changes the films’ tone from the books’. Nevertheless, it is perfectly easy to enjoy both mediums in their own way. And the adaptation is actually one of the best this reviewer has seen in terms of choices that were made.
Still, the comparisons are necessary. For instance, first time director Tom Ford has created a tale that is deeply romantic. Within the book, there is more grief than romance. But Ford’s flashbacks reveal George (Colin Firth) and Jim (Matthew Goode) to be terribly in love. This does not, however, lead to over-sentiment. Ford also chooses to add the ‘major plot point’ that I mention early as an extreme gesture of love and longing. Again, these are not bad inclusions; they just differ greatly from the general tone of source material. Ford also chooses to change some items, such as never having Jim been with a woman before and thus eliminating a whole side element in the book which dealt with George remember Jim’s affair with a woman. Again, I feel these choices were to play up the idea of a fairytale like love and you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. Too many gay-themed films focus on tragedy. And yes, while this film is ultimately a tragedy since the couple in question have already been parted in death from the first scene, their life before this was not. In fact, it was a rather beautiful and happy one.
The acting is pitch perfect, lead by a performance by a near unrecognizable Firth who becomes George through and through from the first instance he is on screen. Firth’s pain is palpable and gut-wrenching. Goode has perfect chemistry with Firth, as does an almost too pretty for words Nicholas Hoult, who plays Kenny, a bright-eyed, curious student of George’s. Julianne Moore gives a solid performance but has surprisingly limited screen-time than what the ads would lead you to believe (then again the ads seemed to want to play up heterosexuality within the film when there is virtually none to be found). Almost all of the dialogue between George and Kenny was lifted verbatim from the book and that was a masterstroke their scenes are by far the most engaging in the novel. Again, Ford eliminates the heterosexual obstacle of Kenny’s somewhat girlfriend, Lois, from the film quickly while the book takes George and Kenny’s relationship in a slightly different nature. It’s amusing that the majority of Ford’s changes come in getting rid of some of the films hetero-normative aspects even though Isherwood himself was homosexual. There’s nothing that says a straight person can’t write about gay people and a gay person can’t write about straight people, but Ford’s decisions in this matter (for his work of art, at least) seem nothing but right. Plus, adding any of these obstacles into the plot might have made for a sloppy, unfocused film rather than a concise, tightly woven narrative.
Technically, the film is breathtaking. The set pieces, costumes, and cinematography all flow together perfectly, and capture the spirit of 1962 (and in a flashback 1946). The time period of the film is mostly captured, except for a key moment between George and Charley which was not in the book. It’s an ignorant comment made by Charley that one cannot help but compare to the current views of love, commitment, and the issues of marriage rights between same-sex couples. The moment itself is powerful and superbly acted within the film but at the same time, it modernizes the film’s setting.
Ford’s camera is gorgeous. He slowly, painstakingly, focuses on moments and details. He gives us a world almost completely from George’s point of view, including detailed close-up’s of eyes, mouths, chests, and slow rake of eyes across bodies, the fascination of cigarette smoke entering and exiting people’s mouths in lush curls of white.
Ford frames George in cool, stark colors; shades of blue and grey surround him, presenting the shell of a human being. There is no color in George’s life anymore. Colors only seep in and out of his life when he shares interactions with another person. It is their life, their living soul that crosses over into George’s cold world. Flashbacks are shown in either vivid colors or black and white. These flashbacks reveal moments from George’s life with (and then later without) Jim. Never, in this reviewer’s opinion, has the conscious use of cool vs. warm colors ever been presented so effectively.
A stunning directorial debut from one of the world’s most renowned fashion designers, A Single Man is a masterwork, through and through. Ford’s film will stick with viewers long after its consumption. In fact, it may never leave.
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Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
OK - just found out we get it in Australia on Feb 25th!
Can't wait now - I just love Hoult after Skins.
Comment by Cinema is truth
Cinema is Truth
Cinema is Truth
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
But the more obscure films that may appear slightly arty definately come out later, which sux!!
We haven't even got Hurt Locker yet - only got the trailers today to start playing!! But I did get to see it and it ROCKS!!