A startlingly confident directorial debut from Gucci designer Tom Ford. A Single Man is immaculately crafted – perhaps a bit too much so – yet what’s more striking is how perceptive it is in emotional terms. Adapted from the Christopher Isherwood novel, the period drama stars Colin Firth as George Falconer, an English professor in 1960s Los Angeles grieving the sudden, accidental death of his partner of 16 years (Matthew Goode). A Single Man offers a raw view of the gay experience that has nothing to do with sex. For nearly two decades, George enjoyed a form of committed, domestic bliss, only to have it ripped away, launching him back into a world of uncertainty, prejudice and derision. Ford gives this all a mournful elegance, while Firth is a wonder. With his sad eyes and tremulous voice, he makes the absolute loneliness of one man’s life hit home.
