Happy Pride Month!
This week's Watch Out! review was written by Circulation Clerk Elizabeth Whitworth!
American fashion designer Tom Ford makes a stunning and bittersweet debut with A Single Man. The film, set in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, follows English professor George Falconer (Colin Firth) over the course of a single day, as he struggles to cope with the sudden loss of his partner of 16 years, Jim (Matthew Goode). Breaking underneath the loneliness and weight of his grief, George plans to end his own life, prompting him to reflect on both the heartbreak and joy of living.
During the 1950s and the early 1960s, homosexuality is regarded with deep suspicion, and those who deviate (or are simply suspected of deviating) from the suburban ideal are met with prejudice if not outright persecution. To render oneself invisible is often the safest course of action, but to grieve while remaining invisible is an incredible burden. George is barred from attending Jim’s funeral; he can only speak of his loss openly with a singular friend, Charley (Julianne Moore). Firth’s Oscar-nominated performances is incredibly affecting – the viewer can see George struggling under his façade of normalcy and the cracks that slowly begin to emerge.
Perhaps the strongest element of A Single Man is the film’s visuals. The production team responsible for AMC’s Mad Men also worked on A Single Man, providing the film with a lush backdrop. Moreover, Ford makes use of visible changes in color saturation to communicate the ups and downs of George’s emotions. As George floats through the day, unmoored and hallowed out by grief, the film’s color scheme is nothing but bleak, muted tones. Heartbreak has left George with a cool detachment towards life. And yet, there are moments of connection with other people bringing George back to the present and amid these connections, the colors on screen become vibrant and intense. A pair of light blue eyes becomes the color of a clear afternoon sky; faces are infused with a peachy, golden warmth. The sudden increase in saturation cues the viewer in to George’s reemerging (and fleeting) interest in the world around him. In these brief moments of respite, George and the audience are reminded of how feeling connection and joy can bring us back to the world and back into ourselves.
I would recommend this film to anyone who appreciates introspective dramas and well-constructed period pieces.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Recommended for fans of: drama, The Normal Heart (2014), historical/period piece, Mad Men (2007-2015), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2020)
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