A Single Man

It has been ages and ages since my last post. I have certainly seen dozens of films since October and most have been worthy of posts, but none have inspired me to break the writing rut like Tom Ford's 'A Single Man.' Be warned, this post contains SPOILERS. For a beautiful, spoiler-free, piece on this film check out: http://feast4thought.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/movie-a-single-man Please read that, go see the film, and then read on.

I can't decide what to do with this movie. It was beautiful and stunning. It made my heart race and sing. Colin Firth was brilliant and his supporting cast played quite perfectly. Tom Ford made some very interesting decisions with close-ups, color changes, flashbacks, and silence. The construction of the film and the acting that went into it were certainly elements that made it quite a cinematic treat. The uneasy feeling I am left with comes from the story. I find myself extremely unsure how I am supposed to deal with George's death in the last scene of the film. Early we are introduced to the possibility that this man means to kill himself on this day. The film drags us along his day preparing for his own end. We sit back and watch and hope that these glimpses of color and life will bring George back from the ledge and he will truly be able to survive the passing of his lover. We journey through this day and finally reach the moment we have been hoping for in the last scene only to immediately suffer with George a tragic heart attack. I felt robbed.

This film is so full of beauty and depth that there is way more to say than I have words for, but I felt compelled to share my pain. I loved the movie, but I can't help but feel very confused at my own emotions. Maybe someday I will understand exactly what I am supposed to feel...