A Single Man

Review by Chris Pandolfi for A Single Man
Rating:
George Falconer (Colin Firth), a British literature professor living in Los Angeles in 1962, is struggling to find meaning in his life. That’s an awfully generic way to start a movie review, and I agree that many movies are about the struggle for meaning in life. But in the case of “A Single Man,” an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel, the idea seems neither hackneyed nor overused; we follow George over the course of one day and actually see and respond to his struggle to find meaning. Ever since a car accident took the life of Jim, his lover of sixteen years (Matthew Goode), George has been on a desperate search for some degree of contentment, some sign that he can love again and will be loved in return. He hasn’t found it yet. He may never again find it. So why not make use of the gun in the desk drawer?

This film marks the directorial debut of Tom Ford, the fashion designer and former creative director of the Gucci house. It would be brilliant even if it had been his twentieth film. It’s a story of astonishing observation and poignancy, where beauty is found not only in the form of a face or the arc of an eyebrow, but also in the cold bleakness of a winter road, where pain and death give way to encounters of surprising tenderness. It’s a masterpiece of character development and performance; every one of George’s onscreen appearances, for example, is an opportunity for Ford to reveal him to us, which is to say we never see him in an empty or extraneous moment. The dialogue is a perfect blend of insight, contemplation, and wit – one of those rare instances where every word is carefully placed yet strung together as naturally as regular conversation.

George is far from an uptight, prissy cliché, although he does give the appearance of being neat and orderly; always nicely dressed, always articulate, always able to keep his things in their proper place. But within, he’s an absolute mess, tormented by grief, loss, regret, and above all, fear – the fear of isolation, of growing old alone and forgotten. He finds some solace with his best friend and former lover, Charlotte, a.k.a. Charley (Julianne Moore), an aging, hard-drinking British beauty who seems determined to wallow in her failures as a wife and mother. She states at one point that, as wonderful as what George and Jim had was, it was probably just a substitute for something real. George asserts, with understandable frustration, that what he and Jim had was very much real and not a substitute for anything.

As the film progresses, a relationship develops between George and one of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), who appears, at first glance, to be nothing more than an infatuated youth. But this would be a tedious movie indeed if their interactions were entirely motivated by sex; there’s a definite physical attraction, no question, but ultimately, what they share boils down to the innate desire for meaningful human interaction, which works on a frequency separate from sexual orientation. Kenny, though young, is remarkably insightful and may in fact be the key to George’s emotional salvation.

While symbolism is hardly new in the movies, specific images in “A Single Man” so thoroughly represent the main character’s emotional turmoil that they cannot be dismissed as manipulative visual aids. Consider the use of clocks and watches, many ticking in unison with the sound of a beating heart; they tell time, something we’re all caught up in and will eventually fall victim to. The second hand continuously moves in jerky motions, as if to reinforce the idea that George’s life has been reduced to a countdown.

Also consider the use of color. George’s memories of Jim – which pop up randomly, as they tend to do in real life – are vibrant and lush, warm and inviting, evocative of a committed, loving relationship. Compare that to the world George now sees: Faded and gray, cold and lifeless, dull and dreary. There are select moments, however, when the colors visibly amplify, as when he has a conversation with his neighbor’s pleasant young daughter while waiting at the bank. As is the case with Kenny, this little girl gives George a much needed dose of social interaction.

In spite of George’s orientation, “A Single Man” is not, as some would call it, a “gay” movie. Its focus is on humanity, not sexuality, and that makes it accessible, I believe, to all audiences; it reaffirms that within all of us is the need to make contact with other people, sometimes for love, sometimes for a shoulder to cry on, sometimes for nothing more than simple conversation. Of all the films I’ve seen this year, few have been this relatable, this touching, and even in the absence of big-budget visual effects, this visually creative. Its greatest achievement, perhaps, was the casting of Colin Firth, undeniably convincing as a broken man maintaining a façade of serenity and togetherness. This is one of the year’s best films.

Review by Gemma Loves All Things Sam Shepard for A Single Man
Rating:
There are not enough stars to rate this film.

I viewed this film after it received it’s Oscar nod, and, having set such high expectation is not always a good way to see a movie. But the film left me speechless, breathless and emotionally spent.

__Every__single__shot__ in this film is laid out with perfect form, intensity, color and natural beauty and flows as if you’re literally watching the purest form of a new day’s dawn through George’s eyes, frame by frame. Despite the dark tones you hear so often cast on this film it is highly optimistic. Meaningless language and hollywood histrionics is spared leaving the viewer to feel the pain (and rebirth) with introspective intensity. High marks for the integrity and respect afforded every character, every feeling, every situation, every scene.

Colin Firth owns George Falconer — simple as that. I feel a new appreciation far and above my already high admiration of this beautiful, accomplished and intelligent actor.

I do hope Tom Ford should pick up a camera more often.

Review by C. B Collins Jr. for A Single Man
Rating:
Colin Firth is superb in this film about a man dealing with loss. Firth does an excellent job of subtle character development as he plays a man overcome with grief to the point that he has become numb. But it is more than this for it is about the forces that pull us into death to join those that have gone before us and the beautiful forces of life that pull us toward life, to keep going for anther day to enjoy the gift of existence. It is the story of an English professor in a community college in the 1960s who is trying to get through another day as his memory takes him back to conversations and intimacy with his deceased lover, Jim. Jim, played by Matthew Goode, was his partner for many years, and now, left alone, the title “A Single Man” has multiple meanings. George Falconer is still connected to the world, as evidenced by his friendship with Charley, an old girlfriend, who has become a confidant. Julianne Moore is great in this role. The character of George Falconer may be fearful of isolation and a solitary existence but he is also resistant to the attractions of the world, fully evident in the character of Kenny, a beautiful sensitive young student from one of his classes. Nicholas Hoult plays Kenny and it is not just Kenny’s beauty that retains George’s interest but the desire on the part of Kenny for insightful and meaningful interactions with a like minded soul. In fact the film shows George propositioned by a beautiful and yet vulnerable male hustler outside a liquor store. Worldly beauty doesn’t pull him back from the brink. It is Kenny’s more nuanced and meaningful overtures that act as a lifeline to a drowning man. This is a film for adults. Colin Firth’s portrayal of George is one of loss, and disorienting grief, covered over with rituals of control and order. He has the exceptional ability to be coolly handsome while revealing a boiling undercurrent just below his surface. Nicholas Hoult is also excellent, first appearing as an appealing young man in the classroom, but revealing more depth and desire of meaningful interaction with each scene. Julianne Moore, playing an isolated divorcee, plays one of those wonderful friends who is supportive and kind and still may have an unrevealed agenda. She plays the part well. The film is based on Christopher Isherwood’s novel of the same name, but be aware that changes have been made, and the film should be judged on its own merits since it has significantly adapted parts of the novel, including the ending. Visually, the film is stunning, for it captures the best sensibilities of late 1950′s modernism and design.

Review by G. Charles Steiner for Egoscue: Pain Free Workout Series Vol. 1 and 2 (2 DVD Set)
Rating:
This DVD consists of a Beginner Level and an Advanced Level.

The Beginner level I can attest to as being wonderful in that right from the first session, the positions you learn and the exercises you practice are simple and easy yet they provide, each time, surprisingly more ease of pain and better postural alignment than you might ever hope to expect from any single session or effort. The pacing is calm and harmonious — at least for the first half of the session, and it feels much like a one-on-one Pilates class or a Yoga session for beginners.

The Advanced Level I merely previewed. It is a much more intense level of exercise requiring a lot of strength and stamina, particularly in the abs, moreso than any Beginner level participant can expect to exhibit.

I got a lot of ease of pain and better postural alignment with the Beginner level, a level of ease that lasted for hours and sometimes the whole day. The results I achieved were astonishing, surprising, and wonderful.

The production values for this DVD are, sadly, weak and irritating, however.

In the Beginner level, two people help you with the program to become pain-free. One is a woman performing the exercises and the other is a male instructor explaining the exercises. About half-way through the session, the male instructor begins to talk more volubly than at the beginning and he begins to talk in more of a militaristic tone of voice than he did at the beginning. Increasingly, the voice becomes unadulteratedly louder and more robotic. The calming and harmonious experience one first experiences with this DVD and with this pair of people begins to dissipate rapidly. The male voice distracts and annoys. His voice is such that you cannot bear listening to him upon further playbacks of the session. This is a production problem that interferes with one’s motivation to repeat the session for the next day.

The DVD offers you the choice to turn the sound off — wonder why!? — and listen to programmed music instead. However, the programed musical offering is but a single folk song that repeats and repeats throughout the entire session. It is also a piece of music that is set up to cue you when the next exercise is coming up. I found the musical timer inadequate. I found it better to memorize the entire repertoire of exercises for the Beginner level and turn the sound off completely.

In the Advanced level, there is only one person to help you with the exercises, which is actually quite fine and really a relief after partaking of what’s (irritatingly) possible with two people helping you at the Beginner level. This one person is the same woman from the Beginner program, acting now as both performer and instructor. Her body is slender and lithe, athletic and natural, and her speaking voice is clear and natural as well. Her cues are well accented, but she moves quite fast. It is not a calming, harmonious experience she is delivering here; she is offering you a work-out.

Shamefully, there is no Intermediate level in this DVD. The difference between the Beginner level and the Advanced level is so stark and dramatic, there is no way a Beginner can, even after months of practice, transition easily to the Advanced level. You’re completely on your own as to how to manage this trick. The Advanced level requires such strength and demands such intensity, it also can’t be used by anyone who truly is in severe pain, no matter how fit he or she is. It can only be used by the fit and the already well individual who wants to improve his or her postural alignment.

I found that the DVD does do what it says it will do: make you pain-free. However, the means this particular DVD uses can be taxing and annoying for the viewer.

My advice is to write down all the exercises and memorize them, put your own music on your iPod or CD player, and perform the program yourself without the DVD.

Review by J. Kercher for Egoscue: Pain Free Workout Series Vol. 1 and 2 (2 DVD Set)
Rating:
While the egoscue program is a good one this DVD is NOT for everyone and definitly should NOT be used until an individual has achieved proper realignmnet. I give this DVD a 2 star because it implies you can achieve proper alignment using the exercises on this DVD when in fact you can not. Most of the exercises in the DVD are for building strength and flexibility once you have returned to proper alignment through the use of the exercises in the book or with a certified egoscue instructor. The exercises on the DVD are NOT the same as the ones in the book and can actually cause more pain if you are still out of alignment and use them as was the case with me. Sadly there is nothing in the editorial review or on the DVD package that tells you this.

This information regarding the DVD exercises was told to me by Michael Bellofatto from Egoscue.

Get the book FIRST and do those exercises first, that’s where you need to start before spending money on this DVD!

The best would be if Egoscue would make a DVD of the exercises in the book so we all could learn how to do them correctly and help ourselves, for those of us who can’t afford or don’t have access to and Egoscue clinic or instructor. Plus exercising from a book is just darn awkward!