Movie Pick: A Single Man

When I first heard about this movie, I kept seeing an ad for it only in magazines. The director was Tom Ford, and Colin Firth is wearing those iconic glasses, so I assumed it was just an advertisement for glasses masquerading as a movie ad. When I heard it was nominated for numerous awards, I was surprised and had to see it... and after months of procrastination, I finally did. It's a visual masterpiece- if you pause the movie at any point during the film, you can almost just capture a screenshot, print it, frame it, hang it on your wall.

A Single Man is a touching story about tragedy, death, life and love. 

For the first time in my life, I can’t see my future. Every day goes by in a haze. But today I’ve decided, will be different.

Waking up begins with saying ‘Am’ and ‘now’.  For the past eight months, waking up has actually hurt. Cold realization that I’m still here slowly sets in. I was never terribly fond of waking up. I was never one to jump up and greet the day with a smile like Jim was.

Look around you. Most of these students aspire to nothing more than a corporate job. And the desire to raise Coke-drinking, TV-watching children who, as soon as they can speak, chant TV jingles and smash things with hammers.

I feel really alone most of the time. I’ve always felt this way. We’re born alone, we die alone. And while we’re here, we’re absolutely completely sealed in our own bodies. Really weird, kinda freaks me out to talk about it. We can only experience the outside world through our own slanted perception of it. Who knows what you’re really like- I just see what I think you’re like.

 

It may not be your immediate future, but it’s one we all share. Death is the future.

*Screenshots via A Single Man DVD.