A Single Man (2009)

Colin Firth is good. Very, very good.

The movie was directed by Tom Ford and co-written by Ford and David Scearce, based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood. Ford takes loving care with long scenes of faces as the characters reveal their interiors. The cinematography is by Eduard Grau, and it's great. The original music is beautiful; it's by Abel Korzeniowski.

The story is about a college professor, George Falconer (played by Firth), who in October 1962 has decided to kill himself, as he's never come to terms with the accidental death of the love of his life, Jim (played by Matthew Goode). Having set his intention in the morning when he wakes, we live the day with him as he sees things and remembers things. Firth is wonderful at showing Falconer's feelings, and Ford lingers on Firth's face to great advantage.

The movie's designers brought the Sixties back with excellent sets, costumes, makeup, and hair. Princess phones with rotary dials and AM radios abound. The Cuban Missile Crisis has everyone but Falconer on edge -- the people around him fear for their futures, but Falconer has no future this fine autumn day.

This is a movie of mood, and although the dialogue is important, what we see around Falconer and what we see in Falconer's face as he sees around him are the most important parts of the movie. He spends much of the day in reverie, with some irritation at the intrusions of people into his privacy. Yet Falconer is ever civil to those around him, even if he wishes them ill.

"A Single Man" is a very good movie. Despite the subject matter, there is much warmth and humor in what George intends to be his last day.