| 25 December 2009
Ever since his performance as the very proper, very stiff upper-lip, and very proud Mr. Darcy in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Colin Firth has been cinema’s go-to man for British middle-aged, middle-class men who behave with decorum and dignity. Men who, in other words, will not publicly betray their emotions unless push comes to shove. And even then, Firth always keeps his upper-lip very stiff.
To a certain degree, his George Falconer in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” fits the profile. But, at the same time, no matter how reserved Falconer may seem, you know, just by looking into his eyes and hearing his voice-over narration, that Falconer can no longer contain his emotions, can no longer face life without the partner he lost in a car accident (Matthew Goode). For George Falconer is gay and in 1960s America, being gay meant living a closeted life more often than not. It meant hiding your true feelings under a veneer of normalcy.
The story takes place over the course of a day as George begins to tie some loose ends as he prepares to commit suicide. He teaches his literature course at a local community college, cleans up his desk and safety deposit box, lays his clothes, letters and belongings in perfect order at his home. Some smallish incidents threaten to derail his course: a male student suddenly develops a keen interest on him and a Spanish male hustler tries to pick him up at a local store.
Throughout, George relives in his mind those tender moments with his partner, Jim, and the day he received the fatal news, over the phone, from Jim’s cousin. It’s a scene that etches in the viewer’s mind the overwhelming sadness that has taken hold in George’s life as he is told, point blank, that Jim’s family doesn’t want him anywhere near the funeral. We slowly see this reserved man break down. His eyes do the talking as he tries to control his emotion, followed by a complete breakdown when he runs to his next door neighbor’s and best friend Charly’s home in search of a compassionate soul. This sequence alone is worth the price of admission.
Then there’s George’s final dinner party with Charly (Julianne Moore). It’s a tour de force for both, where words and actions are used to mask and cause pain. Charly sees her sadness reflected in George’s eyes and viceversa. It’s a scene that makes you cringe at times.
Thank God for this one-two sucker punch because Tom Ford, in his directing debut, overreaches stylistically. He easily telegraphs feelings by shading his film in grey tones or bright colors or by using slow motion. Alex Korzeniowski’s and Shigeru Umebayashi’s overtly melodramatic score threatens to derail the film, taking it into an almost Almodovaresque realm. But Firth, Moore and Goode rise above it all, delivering performances that are sad, joyful and, in the end, reaffirming.
CAFE'S RATING SYSTEM:
FOUR SHOTS: The perfect brew
THREE SHOTS: A decent brew
TWO SHOTS: A weak brew
ONE SHOT: Tastes like tar
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