So, watching the Oscars a few nights ago, I was completely bewildered by the fact that A Single Man was not nominated for Best Cinematography.
The cinematography of the film, which depicts a day in the life of a man mourning over the tragic death of his lover, stylistically matches its theme. The shots of Colin Firth become slowly desaturated while the shots of other characters are bursting with color. Every subtle feeling that the main character experiences is explored with the camera, whether zooming in on the eyes of a character as they speak or displaying hauntingly beautiful settings such as the violent sea at night.
What makes this even more impressive is that this is fashion designer Tom Ford’s first film. Despite his inexperience as a director, he comes up with innovative ways to tell a story, such as having choppy editing and playing with the intensity of color (an example would be a woman’s mouth subtly saturating to a vibrant red when complimented on her smile).
If you haven’t seen this yet, it’s currently playing at the Angelika Theater. If you are willing to sit through two hours of pure, nearly-overwhelming beauty, this is the film for you.
