With award season in full swing, we continue to look at the top performances of 2009. This week, we watched A Single Man (R). Colin Firth stars as a mourning English professor in 1950s California who is contemplating his life after the untimely death of his lover. Julianne Moore costars and American fashion designer Tom Ford makes is directorial debut.
Ryan: A Single Man is one of Hollywood's more fruitful offerings of the year. It's a complex character study involving a day in the life of one man's existential dilemma in trying to still find meaning in a world where his lover has unexpectedly died. Further complicating the situation is the character's sexuality and more specifically how he's unable to fully be himself in a society that is unwilling (or not ready) to accept an openly gay man. All-in-all A Single Man would be a worthy film to garner a Best Picture nomination and I think it's definitely a real possibility that it will.
Andy: A Single Man has flown under the radar, mostly (and deservedly) receiving credit for Colin Firth’s intricate and emotive performance. The film itself is also very well crafted, but it is hard not to shine the focus on Firth. Simply put, there is no film with out his tortured characterization of George. One of the most memorable aspects of Firth’s turn here is that for most of the film he is a man trying to hold it together in public, and we see him subtly losing for much of the film. Watching an actor walk that thin line over the course of the movie is truly a treat when it is done well, as it is here.
Ryan: Saying this film is a Colin Firth vehicle is slightly disingenuous to a movie of this ilk. Normally that term is used for more genre-specific films and not indie dramas. But if one thinks of that term in meaning a movie that best showcases the talent of a specific actor then by all mean this is a vehicle for Firth. Unquestionable he rises to the challenge. This is one of the best performances of the year and I will be shocked if he isn't rewarded with an Oscar nomination (which would be his first). He completely sells his performance of a desperate, conflicted man trying to overcome the tragic loss of his companion.
Andy: A Single Man is not the easiest film to watch, as it is very dramatic and intense. Julianne Moore’s character is able to provide a little light-hearted empathy, but for the most part, this is a movie about a cheerless time in one man’s life, and the film acts accordingly. As we see Firth’s character become more and more unraveled, the emotional depth becomes greater and greater. The very end of the film may strike an odd tone for some, but watching this character play out is fairly fascinating no matter how you feel about the conclusion.
Ryan: Although he's a successful fashion designer, Tom Ford is a rookie in the world of cinema. But make no mistake about it his debut is one of the year's more interesting films and he definitely demonstrates that he has a lot of promise as a filmmaker. Yes he's overly concerned with the look of the film (the furniture, the clothes, etc.) and there's no doubt that the style of the movie is very important to Ford. But this isn't a film that's all style. If anything the movie's style creates a thriving environment for the actors—especially Firth—to give all-around authentic performances.
Andy: There is no question that this movie establishes Ford was a very promising new director. At times his visual affect becomes a little too obvious. But the fact that a director is playing with lighting and composition is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not something I want to be noticing when I should be paying attention to the story. If Ford continues to make films and hones is craft, he could make some truly brilliant films.
A Single Man is a good movie highlighted by a great performance. Final grade: B+.
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