Although I haven’t really done the research, I’d be willing to bet that the number of fashion industry icons that have gone on to filmmaking careers is somewhat minimal.  Nevertheless, that is the leap that Tom Ford has made.  The former creative director at Gucci and the creator of his own fashion line first moved into the movie business a year ago, fashioning the wardrobe for James Bond in Quantum of Solace.  With A Single Man, Ford moves into the director’s chair and the result is actually quite impressive.

Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man focuses on a Los Angeles English professor named George Falconer.  Dealing with the recent death of his male lover of sixteen years, George is struggling to get through each day.  The movie focuses on one specific day in which George is considering ending the life that he no longer enjoys.

During this day, George spends some time with his female lover Charlotte, who herself is wallowing in self-pity, but believes she and George could find happiness together.  He also meets an admiring young student named Kenny, who is fascinated by more than just his professor’s musings on fear.

The plot of A Single Man is rather simple, but it is the characters and the way in which Ford tells the story that makes in interesting.  As a fashion designer, perhaps Ford has a better understanding of the emotional effect of color than other directors and he uses a rather interesting color device to help tell his story.

Throughout much of the film, the colors are very withdrawn and nearly non-existent, almost as if the film were shot in black and white.  However, whenever something happens that sparks some kind of emotional response in George, Ford gives the film a flush of color.  The technique is most effective when it is more subtle, as some of the more obvious moments are on the verge of cheesy, but overall it is a very effective technique for relaying the emotional state of the lead character.

Colin Firth has already received a couple of best actor awards on the festival circuit for his portrayal of George and is considered one of the early favorites for an Oscar nomination.  It would be much deserved.  Firth, who often seems to be playing second fiddle to someone like Hugh Grant, gets perhaps the richest character of his career, and as an audience it is easy to identify with his struggle over the loss of a loved one.  He’s also flanked by an impressive cast that includes Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, and Nicholas Hoult, whom I never would have believed from his appearance here that he was the kid from About a Boy.

The set design for the film is also very well done, wonderfully creating an environment of the 1960s.  It came as no surprise to me to learn that the production design team was the same that created the sets for the sixties-based Mad Men; and that show’s Don Draper even makes an audio cameo.

Although the film may not connect emotionally with everyone, there is little doubt that it is made by someone who knows what he is doing.  This is an impressive first feature.

A Single Man is rated R for “some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content.”  I don’t really recall any disturbing images, but the nudity/sexual content is probably enough to warrant the rating.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Jeff attended a promotional screening of A Single Man.