Actor Colin Firth should be handed an Oscar right now for his astounding portrayal in Tom Ford's A Single Man.
His performance is just one of the many impressive aspects of the film, which marks the feature directorial debut of Ford. Yes, that Tom Ford - the fashion designer who made Gucci cool in the 1990s and currently has his own Tom Ford label.
Based on Christopher Isherwood's novel, the film is set in the 1960s and takes place over the course of one day. It follows George (Firth), a gay professor who decides he can no longer continue living with the heartbreak of having tragically lost his longtime partner (Matthew Goode). In what is his last day on Earth, George spends it tying up loose ends without letting anyone know his real plan.
Not even his best friend, Charley (a flawless Julianne Moore), his one-time lover in their younger days, is aware of George's decision. Charley herself is on the verge of a breakdown as she is coming to terms with getting old, being alone and feeling that the best as already come to pass. Surely the constant drinks in her hand do nothing to assuage these feelings. Nevertheless, she puts the day's focus on planning a dinner for her and George, oblivious that this will be the 'last supper.'
Yet there is one person who notices that something is amiss with George. His teenage pupil Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), who sits through George's lectures with his girlfriend, but feels a strong pull towards his teacher. Curious, innocent and angelic, Kenny's presence throws an unexpected wrench in George's day. The effects are far more lasting than both could ever imagine.
Firth has never been better. The scene where he gets the phone call of Jim's death is absolutely riveting. Without moving his body, with very little facial expression and barely any dialogue, Firth is able to convey how in one instant, George's life has been indelibly altered. Though on the surface George is very calm and collected, Firth has an ability to simultaneously show us a soul that is screaming in agony.
Hoult bring a gentleness and innocence to Kenny, a part that contrasts nicely with Firth's introverted and private George. The young actor, best know for playing the cherubic-faced child opposite Hugh Grant in About A Boy not only shows he's grown up into a handsome young man, but that he's able to take on a subject matter antithetic to the comedy film that first made him famous.
Praise must go to Ford, who shows that he is not only an important force in fashion, but also has the potential to be a game-changer in film as well. (To read the rest of the review, please go to California Literary Review)