Firth's portrayal of a man repressing his grief while being unable to repress his instinct for love and for life is excellent and moving, while Ford's balancing of depth and surface is precarious but ultimately winning.
Overview
Set in Los Angeles in 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis, is the story of a British college professor who dwells on the past and cannot see his future. 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 the death of his long time partner, Jim.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Ford's eye for period detail is exact; brief cutaways, incisive dialogue, and charged glances telegraph the cold-war paranoia and sexual alienation of the early 60s.
A Single Man still stands as a vivid portrait of life behind a veil, and Firth certainly delivers one of the best performances of the year.
His first time out, Ford has made one of the best films of the year.
In this beautifully tailored drama, content and style have as vital a relationship as George and Jim did. The one would be lost without the other.
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