a single man

30/Lode

I can't believe I waited so long to go and see this film; I've been looking forwards to it since September last year and it's been out for a good month now, I have no idea what possessed me. Now I've seen it, that is. Normally, when I visit a cinema with high expectations I leave either merely satisfied, saddened or bitterly disappointed. It is so rare that I have my expectations monumentally exceeded that I can't remember when, or if it has ever happened before.
Tom Ford's directorial debut literally left me speechless, tearful and elated at the same time. It was one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, and the lighting -low or shadowed contrasts; noir-like atmosphere- followed the mood and feeling of both film and audience so perfectly that it seemed that the clouding was in my vision not the lens of the camera, the gleeful haze of George's happy realisations were my own changing world view, not a masterly work of lighting.
I can't quite express how important it is you see this masterpiece; you wouldn't really believe me until you had seen it. Usually it is upon a third viewing that a film is given the key to the glorified hall of 'my faourite films', but A Single Man has jumped the queue, burst through the doors and taken a comfortable seat on the throne at the head of the table, and I only saw it yesterday.
 

22:01:2010