A Single Man. Directed by Tom Ford. 2009 (100'). George Falconer, professor of
English literature in Los Angeles, wakes up one morning and makes the ...
A Single Man Directed by Tom Ford 2009 (100’)
George Falconer, professor of English literature in Los Angeles, wakes up one morning and makes the decision that that day will be his last. George, still grieving for the partner who died eight months before, has become empty and distant to a world he will soon depart. It is 1962 and we follow the perfectly presented hero as he goes about his day, lecturing at college, meeting an old friend and all the time remembering happier times when his life had meaning and enjoyment.
A sorrowful beauty infuses every frame of this remarkable debut feature from fashion designer Tom Ford - Rolling Stone. This is a mature, unsentimental portrait of middle age as an absolute ghost town – San Francisco Chronicle. Vocabulary and Phrases In a haze: Unclear; misty
Every day goes by in a haze. Grumpy: miserable; irritable; in a bad mood
You sound grumpy. To peddle something: To sell something
It's how politicians peddle policy. Cagey: Secretive; unrevealing
Lois thinks you're kind of cagey. To ramble on: To talk without much relevance for too long a long time
You let us ramble on and on. It's on me: You say this to someone when you want to pay for them in, e.g., a bar or restaurant You don't look so hot: You don't look great; you look ill or awful
Bland: Without strong taste or character
It's all becoming so bland. Poof: Derogatory term for a gay male To dread something: To be very apprehensive about, or afraid of something
As much as I dread it, I think I will go back to London. It was the icing on the cake: Something which makes a good situation even better • The director Tom Ford said that he thinks a film should challenge people and make them think. Did this film challenge you? Did it make you think? • Ford says that the film is about isolation and about people trying to connect with other people. In what ways is this true of the film? • Do you think George Falconer's 'last day' has an added vibrancy and poignancy because it is to be his last day? • George pays close attention to all the little things that happen in his day and therefore his day becomes fuller and more vital. Is this the way to live a life? • FEAR: During a lecture to his students George argues that fear plays a terrible and controlling role in people's lives - “Fear is why a minority is persecuted”, “Fear is taking over the world”, “Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. It's how politicians peddle policy”. Do you agree with George's argument? Is fear being used as a tool to manipulate us?
