A Single Man (2009)
Feb 26th, 2011 by Ashley
The movie deserves a post of its own. :)
When I first learned about the film, it was a must-see for me simply because of my Mr. Darcy, I mean, Colin Firth. And then I realized it was based on a novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, who was once a mentor, collaborator and partner of W.H. Auden, whom I LOVE. In the spirit of “love me, love my dog” (愛屋及烏 in Chinese), I hold an affectionate feeling towards Isherwood and his works as well.
Tom Ford’s A Single Man, for me, is a manifestation, in the form of a movie, of the philosophy – Art for Art’s Sake. The storyline is not necessarily what the movie is trying to deliver. Like Whistler’s painting of his mother, which, to him, is not about his mother, but an “arrangement in gray and black.” Its manipulation of color and light and dark, its flow of music, every detail in the film carries meanings, and build and hold a continual flow of sincere and sophisticated, yet basic, human emotions. Toward the end of the movie, with no apparent reason, I cried like a baby. It was not for any particular sad scene. But the emotions built up throughout the movie was so deep and strong that it overwhelmed me completely. It is a profound viewing experience. It’s like putting on a record that moves you or standing in front of a painting that touches you.
It is pure art.