Check It. A Single Man.

A lot can be said of crossover artists and the failure and ridicule they must be setting themselves up for--but that cannot be said of Tom Ford. The man (former creative director of Gucci, now oversees his eponymous label) knows how to make a suit, and he also knows how to make a movie.

A Single Man follows George Falconer (Colin Firth), a gay literature professor dealing with the loss of his longtime love (Matthew Goode). It's a story told through flashbacks and memories, shot gorgeously through rich sceneries and sensual close-ups and helped by a beautiful, emotional score. The performances are just phenomenal. Firth, known for his romantic hero roles in Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones, completely disappears as Falconer, wholly becoming this man full of undeniable pain and confusion. The close-up cinematography, which worked to enrich the sensuality of the scenes, gave no room for mistakes from the actors, and they surely don't disappoint.

The story, based on a Christopher Isherwood novel, falls short in some places, with a sense of rushing the storyline to focus too longingly on more trivial moments. But that's just like fashion in a way; it's more something that is meant to be seen, experienced, felt. It's all about the image, and Ford gets it.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: V Magazine