A Single Man Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
In Los Angeles 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis George Falconer, a 52 year old British college professor is struggling to find meaning to his life after the death of his long time partner, Jim. George dwells on the past and cannot see his future as we follow him through a single day, where a series of events and encounters, ultimately lead him to decide if there is a meaning to life after Jim. George is consoled by his closest friend Charley, a 48 year old beauty who is wrestling with her own questions about the future. A young student of George's, Kenny, who is coming to terms with his true nature, stalks George as he feels in him a kindred spirit. A romantic tale of love interrupted the isolation that is an inherent part of the human condition and ultimately the importance of the seemingly smaller moments in life.
For the first time in my life I can't see my future. Every day goes by in a haze. But today, I
have
decided, will be different.
Longtime fashion mogul and now out-of-nowhere Director Tom Ford has crafted a wonderful film in
his feature debut, A Single Man. The picture boasts an Academy Award nomination for
Actor
Colin Firth (Love Actually) and a
supporting cast to die for in Julianne Moore (Chloe), Nicholas
Hoult,
and Matthew Goode; not bad at all for a director's first movie out of the gate, but Ford's picture
works
beyond its splendid cast. It's a contemplative and sorrowful film, but at the same time it crafts an
aura of hopefulness out of overlying despair. Visually, Ford's movie uses shadow and color to
strong, if not
a bit too obvious and distracting, effect. It's also brilliantly paced; Ford keeps his audience
emotionally engaged, but at the end of the day, it's Firth's performance that overshadows all
else and is the driving force behind making A Single Man a singular achievement.
Tragedy.
For the past eight months, English-born but Los Angeles-based college professor George Falconer
(Firth) wakes up every day a man in shambles. His longtime partner Jim (Goode) died suddenly in
an automobile accident, leaving George a single man living day-to-day with only the memories of
his past life and the pains of his present to see him through the day. George's goal is only to make
it from one day to the next, but that's about to change. He's chosen today -- Friday, November
30, 1962,
to be exact -- to be the end of his suffering. George purchases ammunition for an old revolver and
plans to end his life with the weapon. As he contemplates death, his day will lead him towards a
series
of new revelations about life. He strikes up a sudden relationship with one of his students, Kenny
(Hoult), whose interest in George seems to extend beyond the classroom. He reunites with fellow
English expatriate Charley (Moore), herself a middle-aged person grieving the loss of a loved one
and mourning the absence of a deeper relationship with George. Will George find new purpose in
his life on this, the day he's chosen for it to end, or will the pain and suffering of the past eight
months negate any and all hope for a brighter future?
A Single Man is a rare picture that works on every level. It's a well-crafted picture with a
story that is surprisingly engaging, moving, and heartfelt despite a
bitterly
cold and downtrodden tone that hovers over much of the film. It's a film about the complications
of
life, survival after tragedy, and the meaning to be found beyond the death of a loved one. The
story,
and by extension George's life and struggles, is further complicated by his homosexuality. He lives
in
a time that frowns upon such a lifestyle, and he's unable to grieve and recover in a way that would
more permanently heal his wounds. What's so astonishing about A Single Man is that the
picture paints George in such a remarkably clear, touching, and altogether human manner that his
homosexuality doesn't define the picture. Instead, Firth and Director Tom Ford find a way to make
George's relationships both lost and that which is springing to life with Kenny integral parts of the
film
without overwhelming the movie with "a message." Even those in the audience averse to or not
completely understanding of such a lifestyle will be able to see beyond -- and by film's end, even
ignore altogether -- George's sexuality and identify
instead with the human element that Firth so marvelously demonstrates in the character.
A Single Man's exceptional story and strong Oscar-nominated performance from Colin Firth
lead the charge in building a winning film. Firth's effort is almost overwhelmingly genuine and
touching; the sense of loss his character demonstrates in the film's early flashback scene when he
learns of Jim's death proves a devastatingly powerful moment, a truly remarkable signal of what
A Single Man is capable of delivering. Considering the audience knows little of either
character, it's amazing how much mileage Firth and Ford get out of the moment; the sense of
crushing loss is painfully apparent, and more importantly, it sets a tone for the film that says it's
something special, something unique, something that's capable of accomplishing anything and
everything it sets out to do, even build up sympathy for characters that have only barely been
introduced. It's powerful stuff, reinforced by Director Tom Ford's unique vision for his film's visual
scheme. He bathes A Single Man in a dreadfully dreary color scheme that's heavy on
browns and grays and absent much color. It's a reflection of George's long-lost sense of purpose,
but Ford drenches the film in over-saturated colors when George catches glimpses of a possibly
brighter
future. If there's a fault in A Single Man, this is it; it's not the idea that's questionable,
but the execution. It often comes across as too abrupt and startling, sometimes sucking some of
the emotion from the movie. No matter, though, because for the most part, A Single Man
is far too good to let one slip-up define and overwhelm the movie. The melancholy tone is superbly
executed, and the deliberately painful and solitary emotional overtones the picture engenders and
embraces defines the movie in ways its color scheme cannot hinder.
A Single Man earns a strong 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. Tom Ford's picture isn't the stuff
of high definition eye candy by default, but the transfer handles the film's varied visuals nicely. The
image generally takes on a pale gray appearance that washes out much of the color; at other times,
color springs onto the screen and looks almost over-saturated and with an excessively red push.
Likewise, flesh tones carry these traits; they look pasty and pale in some scenes and capture a heavy
reddish/orange tint in others. However, black levels remain stable and honest throughout. The image
features a variable grain structure that's potent in some scenes and barely visible in others. Fine detail
is lacking in a general sense, but the absence is more a result of Ford's and Cinematographer Eduard
Grau's visual style than it is a fault of the Blu-ray transfer. Objects sometimes lack pinpoint definition,
but close-ups of clothes and faces do deliver more intricate texturing. A Single Man isn't a film
constructed for dazzling visuals. True to Blu-ray's strength, however, the film looks wonderful within
the context of the director- and cinematographer-intended visuals.
A high-quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack accompanies A Single Man onto Blu-ray.
The track proves highly aggressive from the outset; one early scene is dynamic, full, and
loud but also precise, making fine use of the entire dynamic range while also engaging the
surround channels. The picture's
classically-oriented score enjoys a flowing, easy, and crystal-clear presentation. The low end isn't often
engaged, but when it is, it delivers a potent and hard-hitting sensation that's not overbearing but
certainly a step up from the picture's more generally relaxed and dialogue-heavy foundation.
Ambient sound effects are nicely realized when active; a cacophony of buzzing insects in chapter seven
nicely immerses the listener into an outdoor environment, and a gusting wind blows clearly and
precisely across the front half of the soundstage in the same scene. Dialogue reproduction never
misses a beat from beginning to end. Like the video, this isn't a presentation meant to wow the
senses, but it's a fine listen within the context of the movie.
Sony brings A Single Man to Blu-ray with only two extras of substance: an audio commentary
track with Producer/Director Tom Ford and the featurette The Making of 'A Single Man'
(1080p, 16:07). The commentary is well-spoken and nicely paced despite some noticeable moments
of
silence; Ford speaks on a plethora of topics in something of a rapid-fire manner between the gaps,
covering the film's score, various aspects of the shoot, character traits and arcs, the cast, plot
developments, and more. Though Ford occasionally falls into the trap of simply describing the action
on-screen, his commentary makes for a good companion piece to the film. The featurette sees cast
and crew speaking on the film's story and themes, the original novel by Christopher Isherwood on
which the film is based, and the characters. The interview snippets are supported by plenty of scenes
from the film. Also included is Sony's MovieIQ connectivity; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers
for Nine, Chloe, The Runaways, Broken Embraces, "Damages," and "Breaking Bad."
A Single Man is a brilliantly poignant picture about love and loss, about life after death, about
moving on after tragedy. It's not an easy watch, but it's an exceptionally engaging one. First-time
Director Tom Ford paints a bleak but thematically and emotionally engaging picture, but it's Colin
Firth's
performance that truly sells the film. He builds a
character that's incredibly easy to sympathize with from the outset, and the film makes his sexuality
an afterthought, building a real person rather than an agenda out of the story. A Single Man
is an engaging and superbly-crafted Drama that stands as one of 2009's best films. Sony's Blu-ray
release is unfortunately absent a larger supplemental selection, but the studio has once again
produced a stellar A/V presentation. Fans of serious and seriously well-made cinema need
make A Single Man a permanent addition to their Blu-ray collections. Highly recommended.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the Weinstein Company title A Single Man for release on Blu-ray on July 6. A Single Man is the first film directed by fashion designer Tom Ford, and starring Colin Firth in an award-winning (and Oscar-nominated) performance ...
