A Single Man

Colin Firth stars, and Julianne Moore offers a bit of backup, in this sad story of a depressing day in the life of a grieving man. It’s 1962 and George (Firth) has lost his lover, Jim (Matthew Goode), in a car accident that also killed George’s dog and love for life. Trudging through his day as an English professor, George is mildly diverted by a beautiful student (Nicholas Hoult), a pouty-lipped hustler (Jon Kortajarena) and a cute puppy (uncredited). Still, he’s goes home, lays out the suit he wants to be buried in, and checks to make sure that his revolver is loaded and capable of being inserted into his mouth. This first film from former fashion designer Tom Ford is visually rich and inventive, if a little weak in narrative skill. Nonetheless, the strong performance and Ford’s very original and emotionally effective use of color make Single Man worth seeing.