A Single Man (2009)

Tom Ford is not to be sneered at. As a fashion designer, he's the stereotype, but as a film director, he's a natural. He puts as much effort into moving images as he does with fabrics. A Single Man, back in 2009, showed the world what he was capable of. The first 5 minutes are strikingly beautiful. What the film loses steam in is the dialogue. It's far too highbrow. Colin Firth is excellent, but not relatable as the protagonist. Julianne Moore, regularly outstanding, is over the top here. I felt more for Ford's imagery than I did for his characters. That's a problem. Cinema has much more dimensions than simply a beautiful image. You may call it the foibles of a novice filmmaker and for that, I give Ford a pass. Considering that 7 years later came his next film, Nocturnal Animals, which I thought was one of the best films of 2016.