A Single Man

[Lucia Lanigan]

Is magnificent, see it. Much, much better than any broadsheet review would suggest (in fact, some of the things they pick away at are integral to its strength). The closest moving-picture counterpart would probably be Mad Men; similarly, the much-discussed visual style and leading man performance only serve the story and feel, which stay with you for days.

Now they're going to have to tell people at film school: "If you want to film a great love story, first become a multimillionaire fashion tycoon - that way you can fund it yourself."

[Gerontophile]

A Single Man

I am looking forward to seeing this at the weekend.

I always thought that Colin Firth would be brilliant at playing a gay man. I hope he sneaks the Oscar.

[Tony C]

A Single Man

Lucia Lanigan wrote:

Now they're going to have to tell people at film school: "If you want to film a great love story, first become a multimillionaire fashion tycoon - that way you can fund it yourself."

Either that or "just get the clothes right and let the plot look after itself".

I'm joking, of course. The film was given a complimentary review - and a feature piece - in the current 'Sight And Sound', also.

[Ek weet nie]

A Single Man

I didn't read any review of it until I had watched the film. I was shocked by the difference of my impression to what I was reading. Like Lucia I thought this was fantastic. I loved that the only people that had issues with sexuality were the straight people. Obviously it looked fantastic but it had shitloads of depth in it too, very few films have articulated living life with the knowledge of certain death as well. Go watch it if you can.

[Ek weet nie]

A Single Man

Forgot to mention that Mad Men's Jon Hamm has a small role if Lucia's referencing of Mad Men in his post was enticing you.

[Felicity, I guess so]

A Single Man

Saw it last night-really good.

(A number of the other punters in the Tyneside clearly didn't think so-one group kept going to the bar and talking loudly. The couple next to us didn't seem to follow the 'action' very well).

One minor gripe-much as her performance was impressive and watchable, wasn't Julianne Moore a bit toooo Patsy from AbFab?

[Lucia Lanigan]

A Single Man

Yeah, that's fair comment.

At the cinema where I saw this, the crowd was generally older than I'd expected. At the risk of sounding patronising, it was quite surprising, and gratifying, to see so many straight people in their sixties and seventies at a 'gay' film. Mind you, I guess it is their era being depicted on screen and everyone seems to like a bit of Firth. (It all kicked off when one of them had a fairly spectacular fit or seizure of some kind - and someone trying to help them out got told to shut up and sit down by a woman in her seventies! Harsh.)

[San Bernardhinault]

A Single Man

I saw this yesterday and agree with Lucia. It's fantastic. It's a beautiful film to look at (how it's not nominated for best cinematography and director, I'm astonished), but despite being slow it doesn't stop being completely gripping at any moment. And, surprisingly, it's very, very funny in places.

Not quite as visceral and angry as the book, but perhaps that's right for a film.

As Nil says, go and watch it.

[Gerontophile]

A Single Man

Saw this.

I have spent a few hours wondering what to say about it. No idea.

As others have said, see it. You dont have to like it, see it.

[Gerontophile]

A Single Man

I dont like Colin Firth. I dont. I thought his best work was 'Another Country'.

He is in this.

He is.

(Swap Jodie Foster for Julianne Moore (add heels)) and you have an almost, almost perfect film.

[RobW]

A Single Man

Absolutely wonderfully shot. The scenes in which Falconer is staring out of his toilet window and looking at his neighbours, and the slow motion as he drives away from his house particularly stick out. Just beautiful to watch.

Is it just me or was there a trick employed whereby Falconer's face is seemingly stony coloured and grey, but seems to radiate with light when in conversation, particularly with the Spaniard he meets and his adoring student? Maybe I just imagined it, or perhaps it's just Firth's pale skin in contrast with the seemingly golden skin of the cast.

[San Bernardhinault]

A Single Man

I think it's very deliberate use of colour: the grey general times and the more vivid and intense when his mood booms.