A Single Man - Meticulous Living Meets the Big Screen

I saw A Single Man this past weekend and, truthfully, I have been on pins and needles for the past few months waiting for this movie to come to a theater near me. Luckily, I live in New York, and I never have to wait very long for movies to open since they normally premiere here first. Hehe. I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with anything Tom Ford has put his lovely little stamp on, and I remembered when he recently left Gucci he said he wanted to go into film making....and I have been waiting tirelessly for years for the final product: A Single Man.

Even if the story and acting were awful (which they so obviously weren't), A Single Man is visually arresting. The story is about a professor mourning the loss of his partner, his friend Charly, and how you would experience things if you knew this were to be your last day on Earth. The stark visual contrast of the saturated colors "pre-loss" and the gray-scale tones "post-loss" are enough to make you feel like someone is sitting on your chest. As George takes notice of the little wonders of his day...his last day....you can see the vividness return like he is waking up from a haze.

I just loved a Single Man for many reasons (wonderful acting, great story, beautifully shot), but ultimately I am a total sucker for wardrobe and set. The movie takes place in the early 1960's, and I was mesmerized by how the film looked and the way people were outfitted....you know, when people used to actually "get dressed" do go somewhere. To leave one's house in sweats was completely taboo (thank you Juicy Couture for changing that), and the hair/makeup was just amazing. I also have a new found appreciation for eyeliner after seeing a magnificent set of eyes drawn on Charley (Julianne Moore). The interiors were also fantastic. Set before the days of Corian and ultra sleek Italian sterility, I loved the contrast of George's glass and wood house (quite impressive for a professor's salary) to the luxe girlishness of Charly's. I caught myself thinking of ways to redecorate my apartment after I left the theater, which means the movie got the wheels in my head turning and is completely dangerous to my pocketbook. The scenes between the two of them are just amazing, and yes, I am wearing black liquid eye liner today. Thank you for the inspiration, Charly.