Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A Single Man: The Best $12 You'll Spend This Week

I'm aware that Tom Ford's debut film, A Single Man, has already been blogged to death, but after seeing it last night I feel compelled to inform you that it lives up to the hype and then some. Please go see it. Not only is it visually arresting (which is to be expected, being that it is, after all, a Tom Ford vehicle) but it really showcases the formidable acting chops of stars Colin Firth and Julianne Moore (whose hair, I believe, should have been credited with it's own role -- fierce to the nth degree). I've always been sort of lukewarm on Firth, but his nuanced performance left me speechless and I quickly came to realize that the reason this film was so enjoyable for me was due largely to his talents.

Detractors and critics have argued that the meticulous styling takes away from the story, but I'd have to disagree. I think Firth owned the role to such a degree that his beautiful possessions became an extension of him and only served to emphasize his character's personality, tastes, and neuroticism. Though it certainly showed us a world more handsome than the one we live in, its loss and pain were made all too achingly real by Firth's performance. That being said, there was certainly tons to drool over, and I expect the styling will be hugely influential in the months to come.  As details about the wardrobe and props emerge, I'll be looking forward to seeing Ford's next feature.

Some images:

Apartment Therapy LA has stories on the homes of George Falconer (Firth) and his gal pal Charley (Moore), and it turns out George's John Lautner-designed house is actually on sale! Click through to see the listing.

A house of glass.



 

Love the large brass knobs on the front doors of Charley's Hollywood Regency home, her headboard, and her pink filter cigarettes. She's all hair and eyeliner and fabulous gowns.

 


The Isherwood novel is next on my reading list.

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