Single because he is gay....in the 60's

Colin Firth is an actor that I have enjoyed when I saw him in a film. I never sought him out, but never disliked him either. In A Single Man (2009) you see exactly what kind of talent Firth can bring to the table. It is the subtle performance of the year and will be sure to garner both a spot on my list of best performances and a not as impressive Academy Award nomination.

Firth plays a man who has lost his lover to an automobile accident. Firth wonders through the days dark and depressed with a sadness in his eyes, but he is never overt about it. This film was entirely hinging on finding the actor that could express his grief in a way that was subtle and due to the times internal, and director Tom Ford got that with Firth. In a weird way Firth's depression is soothing to the audience, like after you have had a good cry and fall asleep. Julliane Moore plays a women whom Firth is friends with and at one time they were an item. She too is going through similar despair after losing her husband to divorce. The difference is Moore's relationship did not have the same love that Firths did. Moore is also very good in this role, but I have seen her so good so many times I don't feel like she is stretching herself here.

There is nothing remarkable about the story or structure of A Single Man the reason it works is because it is flawless filmmaking from the first time director Tom Ford. Ford first success is in hiring Colin Firth to anchor his film. Ford's eye to find the perfect and beautiful shot is stunning. The cinematography may be the best of the year, and you can see Ford's background in photography in every perfectly executed frame. Thirdly the score is maybe the best of the year, Abel Korzeniowski gives us a haunting and hyptnotic sound that blends perfectly with the visuals. The combination of great acting, beautiful composition and cinematography and a pitch perfect score are the successful ingredients to any film. Also notice the subtle way he ups the colors during those few times that Firth is able to have a moment of happiness whether the joy is genuine or comes from nostalgia of better times.

Despite all the things A Single Man did right, it didn't leave me thinking about it for much time afterwards. It is only now in retrospect that I appreciate so many of the qualities this film brings to the table.

***1/2