Thanks to Lars M.’s special sponsoring, I was recently able to go to the movies in spite of a really tight budget. (I was even able to get some nice treats for consumption during the show!) We chose to see A single man because I really like Colin Firth, who was nominated for an Oscar for this role. The rest of the setting sounded nice too: a single day in the life of a man, stylish early sixties design, a movie that takes its time. All of these promises were kept and I was not disappointed. The work on the colors (desaturated for the moments when Colin Firth was doubtful if the world was actually still worth living in, strongly saturated in moments of aesthetic and emotional fulfillment) might be a bit too obvious, but not too a degree that would make me uncomfortable. The worst thing that I can say about this movie is that I somehow found myself – though sympathetic to the protagonist’s pain – not really moved or emotionally involved. I kept a distance. In a way, the distance might be similar to the distance that the protagonist had to the world around him, to life that had lost its deeper meaning… but I would be surprised if achieving such an effect was intended.
IMDb entry | Trailer