Fresh: Review of A Single Man

Feb 15 2010 by Mike OConnell, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A SINGLE MAN (12A, 100 mins) Drama. Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Paulette Lamori. Director: Tom Ford.

Released: February 12 (UK & Ireland)

IF the Oscars were truly awarded on merit rather than the baubles of a popularity contest then Colin Firth would be collecting a golden statuette as Best Actor In A Leading Role on March 7.

However, the British star’s mesmerising portrayal of a gay professor torn apart by grief in A Single Man will inevitably be overshadowed by Jeff Bridges’ showy portrayal of an alcoholic country and western singer.

Nuance and subtlety are apparently overrated, and the aching emotion conveyed in a single silent gaze will be completely overlooked by audiences and voters, who need to be instructed how to feel every step of the way.

Firth’s stunning performance is just one of the many pleasures of fashion doyen Tom Ford’s directorial debut, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood.

Adapted for the screen by Ford and David Scearce, A Single Man is a haunting drama about a fifty-something scholar, who secretly says farewell to the people he loves as he contemplates suicide.

English professor George (Firth) moulds sharp, young minds in Los Angeles in 1962, concealing the grief over the death of his lover Jim (Matthew Goode) in a freak driving accident.