a single movie

I can't believe that no-one has pointed this out in all of the reviews that I've read, but Colin Firth plays an almost identical role in A Single Man as he did in the last of his films that I saw : Genova.

In both films, he plays a man struggling to carry on with his life after his partner was killed in a violent car accident. In Genova, he's forced to go on by the need to raise his two daughters; while in A Single Man, he's reached a point where he's decided that he cannot go on after the loss of his partner.

Both movies are beautifully filmed and create a real sense of suspense and surprise about where events will lead. I won't give away the ending, but A Single Man has a stunning twist at the end, whose possibility was foretold, but overshadowed, in the events that occur during what is intended to be the last day of his character's life.

As another single man, it gave me quite a jolt - like unexpectedly seeing one of your big fears plastered all over the cinema screen in front of you.

Anyway, aside from that, it was a terrific film, with another great performance by Firth, ably supported by the wonderful Julianne Moore, in yet another of her outstanding period character performances. 4 and a half stars from me; best film that I've seen so far in 2010, and the only one that I've been bothered to see in this whole month!