Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« The Morning News: US to Pledge Emis… | Church Camping Trip Chaperone Watch »

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Film Tom Ford's A Single Man

Posted by David Schmader on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 9:15 AM

scaled.6a00d8341c730253ef012875d017be970c-800wi.jpg

This past weekend, at a special SIFF screening, I saw the new film A Single Man, directed by Tom Ford, who spent decades making his name and fortune as a fashion designer before applying himself to this film, an adaptation of a novel by Christopher Isherwood, written, directed, and produced by Ford. I've been anxious to see A Single Man since its splashy triumph at this year's Venice Film Festival, and I'm happy to report the film succeeds beyond any sane person's expectations.

The basics: A Single Man charts a day in the life of an early-'60s gay man haunted by the death of the love of his life. The man is played by Colin Firth, who appears in every scene and is amazing; he'll be nominated for an Oscar and maybe win. Julianne Moore plays a key supporting role and is good, but the ultimate star of the movie is Tom Ford, who distinguishes himself as a serious filmmaker with something to say. It's a freakishly impressive achievement—smart, confident, meticulous, and deeply, deeply gay.

Which brings us to the supplementary hubbub, well-chronicled by Towleroad, where I first read about the "de-gaying" of A Single Man's press materials, and encountered this hilarious quote from Tom Ford himself:

"This is not a gay film!"

Towleroad and others are rightly suspicious about the closeting of A Single Man and the extent of Ford's involvement in it, but I can only laugh, because speaking the sentence "This is not a gay film!" in reference to A Single Man without busting out laughing is hilarious. Anyone who ventures into A Single Man actually expecting a not-gay movie is going to get the gayest movie they've ever seen.

Seriously: Not only is it a film made by a gay man based on a novel by a gay man about a day in the life of a gay man—in the hands of Tom Ford, A Single Man becomes a towering testament to the world-altering power of compulsive gay-male perfectionism. (Seriously, if this movie had any more lyrical elegance, you'd shit yourself.) And if he can keep a straight face while trying to sell it as a not-gay film, more power to him. Susceptible audience members will learn their big gay lesson soon enough.

Share via

Comments (18) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

maybe he means its a FILM first and foremost?

Posted by Max Solomon on November 25, 2009 at 9:26 AM

Or maybe he prefers thinking of it as a human film?

Perhaps he just wants a small chance of it earning anything close to a profit. If it's promoted as the gayest gay film EVAR it won't get booked let alone sell tickets. Sad, but...

Posted by eric (the other one) on November 25, 2009 at 10:10 AM

meh...it's standard Hollywood boilerplate, and I don't really blame them. If a film (or, anything for that matter) gets labeled, then it's pigeonholed into an audience specific ghetto. Successful "artistic" films (or books, or any form of art/entertainment) succeed FINANCIALLY because of crossover appeal. They did the same thing with Brokeback ("It's a universal LOOOOOVE story!") and it worked. And while the makers of your standard TLA film are thrilled with their gay ghetto status, their tiny budgets can afford them the freedom to be labeled and stuck in gay film festival, tiny release schedule in "select" gay markets, and profitability (hopefully) on the dvd release. Harvey Weinstein has spent too much money (and has too large of an ego) to be satisfied with a gross of $1m or less....also, there's the whole The Weinstein Company is going broke without some major hits thing, but that's a different discussion.

Posted by michael strangeways

on November 25, 2009 at 10:20 AM

Yes, it's clearly a semantic feint designed to achieve a commercial end, but applying it to this film is hilarious. Full speed ahead.

Posted by David Schmader on November 25, 2009 at 10:21 AM

I went into Brokeback Mountain expecting a serious movie about sheep herding. I was gravely disappointed.

Posted by dwight moody on November 25, 2009 at 10:37 AM

Yeah, maybe he means it's not a "gay film" in that it's not a piece of shit movie that's marketed and released as arty just because it has two dudes doing it like all those movies that came out in the 90s and seem to clutter up my view when I go to TLA looking for porn.

I still think the removing of all the gay elements from the trailer and posters and such is bullshit, but it's not my money or my movie, so whatever. There are so many more people in the world to give grief to than Tom Ford, so I wish Towleroad and others would lay off.

(Though cutting him slack might have more to do with my initial misreading of the headline -- "Tom Ford's a single man? Well, I'm not. But I'm sure my boyfriend wouldn't mind.")

Posted by LogopolisMike

on November 25, 2009 at 10:42 AM

Perhaps he meant this is not a gay ONLY film.

Posted by crazycatguy on November 25, 2009 at 10:42 AM

This probably goes without saying, and is also probably way too earnest a thing to say outloud, but couldn't he mean that it's not a gay film in the same sense that gay marriage is not gay – it's marriage? I'm sure there's a push to closet it up a little to get everyone to see it, but I'm sure it also addresses universal themes... both can be true. ("Both can be true" = most Seattle thing a person can say.)

I also haven't seen the film yet so maybe the more apt comparison is that porn is universal but gay porn is definitely gay.... I don't know.

There was a good article in the NYT a million years ago about fashion designers' film influences, and it's interesting to look back at Ford's (he was at Gucci and YSL at the time).

Posted by Strath

on November 25, 2009 at 10:52 AM

This is already my most favorite movie ever, and I haven't even seen it.

Posted by Lily Fluffbottom

on November 25, 2009 at 11:06 AM

Tom Ford is kinda dashing with a bit of facial hair and non-tacky sunglasses.

If he and I were in a dimly-lit soiree in some repurposed workman's loft in SoHo, I'd probably end up accused of impropriety in the pages of TONY.

The accused was heard dryly remarking, "oh, look at that, it just keeps going, doesn't it? Well, that's interesting, I thought I had more control over my hands than that."

Posted by Baconcat on November 25, 2009 at 11:15 AM

Colin Firth?

Give me show times immediately.

Posted by kersy on November 25, 2009 at 11:28 AM

11: You will be very, very pleased.

Posted by David Schmader on November 25, 2009 at 11:33 AM

I fail to see the humor in this David. What I see tragic. I see shame in all things Gay. I see a movie industry that is happy to exploit Gay characters for a buck. Please explain the humor. Others have said it well; maybe it's more. What makes a movie "Gay"? Denying a movie is "Gay" means what?

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on November 25, 2009 at 11:34 AM

& Nicholas Hoult from Skins!

Posted by jhkelly on November 25, 2009 at 11:44 AM

I have a huge crush on Colin Firth and have ever since he was in "Another Country"

If only he was a little taller... *sigh!*

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on November 25, 2009 at 11:45 AM

Oh silly silly silly Tom Ford....it must be nice to be all burgeois and pretty and famous. Those are the types that live in the post-gay fantasy world. I get it, I really do, and I appreciate the sentiment, but it's just not based in reality (see Adam Lambert and today's horsehit from CBS).

His "not a gay film" malarky is a commercial prayer and nothing else. But if he protests too much he's gonna find that not only will scardy cat, supremacist, idiot heteros skip his movie but so will homos that aren't all that interested in enabling Tommy's hallucination.

And THAT would be a fucking shame. Isherwood is brilliant and this novel in particular is great and it sure sounds like Ford does an admirable job bringing it to the screen. I'm really excited about seeing this movie. Don't make me hate myself in the morning, Tom. I already rolled my eyes when I heard you were directing. More of this foolishness might just make me wait until DVD.

Posted by patrick66 on November 25, 2009 at 11:59 AM

Don't pigeon hole the film because we think most people need to see this?

Posted by Vince on November 25, 2009 at 3:05 PM

I have seen the movie, it was beyond my wildest dreams.
The character is human, he is a man. He is also gay. Tom Ford is making a beautiful cinematic experience. Not a movie about gays, gay issues or gay rights. It is a statement about human emotion and loss, a full on sensory experience. This is NOT a gay film.

Posted by Lisak on December 16, 2009 at 11:06 AM