---
title: "A Single Man"
year: 2009
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-single-man"
fi1m_id: "a-single-man"
imdb_id: "tt1315981"
tmdb_id: 34653
wikidata_id: "Q300559"
fi1m_score: 72
critics_score: 69
critics_reviews: 18
published: "2026-10-01T20:33:47.064618+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-01T20:33:47.537117+00:00"
region: "KR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# A Single Man (2009)

Directed by Tom Ford · 1h 40m · KMRB 15 · Drama, Romance

## Identity

A Single Man

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/a-single-man
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** a-single-man
- **IMDb ID:** tt1315981
- **TMDB ID:** 34653
- **Wikidata ID:** Q300559
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/34653, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q300559

**Fi1m score: 72** · Critics 69 from 18 reviews

*In a sentence:* A man grieves in a glass house and the film turns the colour up every time it hurts

> Tom Ford’s first film is a fashion designer’s film in both senses: every frame is composed to the inch, and Colin Firth’s grief is the realest thing in it. Firth is worth the evening. The colour grading keeps telling us what he has already shown.

## Synopsis

Los Angeles, a single day in November 1962, with the Cuban missile crisis on every radio. George (Colin Firth), an English professor, lost his partner of many years, Jim (Matthew Goode), in a car accident eight months earlier, and was told by telephone that the funeral was for family only. He has decided that today will be his last. He lays out his suit, writes his letters, empties his desk and buys bullets. Across the street the Strunks (Ginnifer Goodwin, Teddy Sears) wave from their lawn. At the college a student, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), hangs about after a lecture on fear and wants to talk. Outside a liquor store a young Spaniard, Carlos (Jon Kortajarena), offers a cigarette. And his oldest friend, Charley (Julianne Moore), has invited him to dinner, with gin.

## Review

Tom Ford, a fashion designer making his first film, has taken Christopher Isherwood’s short novel about one day in the life of a bereaved man and made something that looks like the most expensive advertisement ever shot for grief. That is not quite an insult. *A Single Man* is a careful, often beautiful film, and at its centre is a performance from Colin Firth that is as fine as anything he has done. See it for him. The film around him keeps reaching in to adjust the picture, and after a while we wanted it to leave the man alone.

George, an English professor in Los Angeles, lost his partner Jim (Matthew Goode) eight months earlier in a car accident, and has decided that this November day in 1962 will be his last. He lays out his suit, writes his letters, buys bullets. Firth plays the routines with an exactness that is itself a kind of sorrow: the man has nothing left but his habits, so he does them perfectly. The scene that undid us comes early, in flashback, when he takes the telephone call from Jim’s cousin telling him of the death and adding that the funeral is for family only. Firth says almost nothing. He thanks the man. His face does the rest. We were moved more than we expected to be, and what moved us was the politeness.

Eduard Grau shoots most of George’s day drained nearly to grey, the beige of the campus and the brown of the kitchen all of a piece, then lets colour flood the frame whenever George notices something alive: a secretary’s lipstick, a neighbour’s child in a blue dress. The first time it happens it is a good idea plainly stated. By the sixth we had the hang of it and the film was still explaining. Dan Bishop puts George in a low house of glass and timber in which every object has been placed, and Arianne Phillips dresses him in narrow black suits and heavy spectacles. Ford then photographs them like a catalogue, and that is the trouble.

Abel Korzeniowski’s score is strings, a slow waltz pulse that rises whenever the colour does. Laid over the colour and the slow motion it is one signal too many. Ford slows down anything handsome, a tennis game of shirtless students, a girl twirling in a dress, and Joan Sobel cuts these in as reveries that stop the day dead. Firth is already showing us a man looking at the world as if for the last time. He did not need three departments confirming it.

Julianne Moore has one long scene as Charley, George’s old friend from London, who has invited him to dinner, started on the gin well before he arrives and put on a gown for a party of two. They dance to a record, she asks him to come and live with her, and then she says something about his years with Jim that cannot be taken back. Moore plays her as a woman who has mistaken loneliness for candour, and for once Firth has someone to push against.

Nicholas Hoult’s Kenny, the student who follows George out of a lecture and will not quite go away, is harder to credit. Hoult is open and watchful, but the script by David Scearce and Ford never settles what Kenny wants, so we are left guessing whether he is a rescuer or a boy who has spotted a lonely man. The odd exchange with the Strunk girl (Ryan Simpkins) across the street, who repeats something she has heard at home, is the one place where Ford’s stylisation does real work, because the child does not know what she is saying and George does.

Isherwood’s novel stays inside George’s head and lets the day be ordinary. Ford has turned it inside out, so that every feeling is announced on the surface of the image, and the surface is exquisite. The last stretch takes a turn we will not describe. It runs 100 minutes, carries a 12 certificate, and is worth it for a face that never once raises its voice.

*Fi1m score 72, published 1 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics come down in favour of A Single Man, and the praise is almost unanimous about where it belongs: Colin Firth. Nearly every review singles out his restrained performance as the film’s anchor, with his portrayal of George’s grief mentioned repeatedly. Several also admire Julianne Moore, and more than one picks out the evening George spends with her as a highlight. Tom Ford’s first film as a director is found more sensitive and substantial than many expected.

The reservations cluster on Ford’s visual style. Several reviews describe the period design as too polished, the colour shifts as conspicuous, and the dreamy presentation as self-indulgent; a few feel the plot is slight. The spread is fairly wide. Slant Magazine finds the style intrusive enough for a middling verdict, and the lone negative review, from the Evening Standard, argues the gloss smothers the human drama, leaving Firth to supply the feeling the rest lacks.

## Straight answers

**Is A Single Man worth watching?**

*A Single Man* is worth watching for Colin Firth, whose grieving professor is as fine as anything he has done, and we scored it 72. Tom Ford composes every frame to the inch and keeps flooding the screen with colour and slow motion to tell us what Firth has already shown. See it for the face, and be patient with the catalogue around it.

**How long is A Single Man, and what is it rated?**

*A Single Man* runs 1h 40m and is rated 15 by the KMRB in South Korea. It is a drama and romance film.

**Where can I watch A Single Man in South Korea?**

*A Single Man* is not on any streaming or rental service in South Korea at the moment. It is available in 15 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is A Single Man, and is it suitable for children?**

*A Single Man* carries a UK 12 certificate and contains almost no violence; the hardest thing in it is a bereaved man laying out his suit, writing his letters and buying bullets for a day he intends to be his last. There is drinking, a car accident in flashback and a frank portrait of suicidal grief. It is a quiet film for adults and older teenagers, not for children.

**How does A Single Man compare to Ikiru?**

*A Single Man* and [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru) both follow a man who believes his time is ending, and Kurosawa's film is the better of the two, with none of the varnish and twice the ache. Ford announces every feeling on the surface of a polished image; Kurosawa lets Takashi Shimura's fear of wasted time stay painfully ordinary. Choose Ford for Firth and the look, Kurosawa for the deeper cut.

**Is A Single Man based on a true story or a book?**

*A Single Man* is based on Christopher Isherwood's short novel of the same name about one day in the life of a bereaved man in Los Angeles in 1962; it is not a true story. Isherwood stays inside George's head and lets the day be ordinary, where Ford turns every feeling outward onto the image. Knowing the book is not required, though readers will notice how much has moved to the surface.

**What should I watch after A Single Man?**

After *A Single Man*, try [*Ikiru*](https://film.one/film/ikiru) (1952, Fi1m 92): A dying clerk’s last months, told with none of the varnish and twice the ache. Then [*Far from Heaven*](https://film.one/film/far-from-heaven) (2002, Fi1m 87): Julianne Moore in another immaculate early-sixties America where nobody can say what they mean; and [*Weekend*](https://film.one/film/weekend) (2011, Fi1m 86): Two men, two days, one Nottingham flat; the plain, unstyled answer to Ford’s gloss.

### Reviews we read (18)

- **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (A-): Rabin finds the film stylish yet genuinely moving, praising its substance beneath the polished images. He singles out Colin Firth’s affecting lead performance and the tenderness of the central relationship. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/a-single-man-1798207637)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, The Associated Press (85/100, inferred): The review finds Tom Ford’s directing debut surprisingly successful and sensitive, with mainstream appeal. It especially praises Colin Firth’s restrained, moving performance and the film’s intelligent dialogue. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/single-man-film-review-93508/)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (4/5): Freer praises the film as emotionally alive, thoughtful filmmaking, despite occasional overuse of colour. He singles out Colin Firth’s restrained, deeply affecting performance as the film’s anchor. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/single-man-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (80/100, inferred): Sharkey praises the film as a warm, visually striking character study, with Colin Firth’s performance giving it emotional depth. She singles out Firth’s careful portrayal of George, while noting that the film’s polished perfection sometimes threatens to become a flaw. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-11-la-et-single-man11-2009dec11-story.html)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The page identifies this as a film review, but the review text is unavailable. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be established from the accessible material. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-single-man-1)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3/4): Ebert gives the film a positive assessment, praising its visual style and Colin Firth’s performance. He highlights the careful rendering of the protagonist’s grief and isolation. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-single-man-2009)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (70/100, inferred): Kohn finds the film’s visual style deepened by witty writing and strong performances, especially Colin Firth’s. He notes that some visual flourishes feel overbearing and the film’s artiness may put viewers off. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-depth-in-beauty-tom-fords-a-single-man-55665/)
- **The New Yorker** (70/100, inferred): The review finds the film’s plot too slight and its presentation overly dreamy, but ultimately praises it. It singles out Colin Firth’s portrayal of grief and Julianne Moore’s performance in a memorable evening together. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/a-single-man)
- **Variety**, Leslie Felperin (70/100, inferred): Felperin finds the film luminous and treasurable despite imperfections. She praises the emotional nuance of Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, while noting that the immaculate period design can feel overly polished. [Read](https://variety.com/2009/film/reviews/a-single-man-2-1200476287/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (65/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film a poignant, compassionate portrait, though its style can feel self-indulgent. He especially praises Colin Firth’s nuanced performance and singles out a surreal encounter with a neighbour’s child as a memorable directorial touch. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/11/a-single-man-review)
- **Screen Daily**, Lee Marshall (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is hidden behind a paywall. The visible text does not reveal what the critic praised or criticized. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/venice/a-single-man/5005572.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page contents are unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. Its specific praise or criticism likewise cannot be established from the displayed text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/movies/11singleman.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Andrew Schenker (2.5/5): The critic finds the film’s emotional core worthwhile but faults Tom Ford’s intrusive, overworked visual style. Colin Firth’s expressive performance is singled out for praise, while the DVD commentary is mocked as self-absorbed. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/a-single-man-dvd/)
- **Evening Standard** (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the film overly polished and emotionally unconvincing, with its visual gloss overwhelming its human drama. Colin Firth’s earthy performance and a scene between George and Charley briefly provide the feeling the rest of the film lacks. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/all-surface-no-feeling-in-a-single-man-7418594.html)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film sublime and praises Tom Ford’s direction and Colin Firth’s performance. Firth’s restrained portrayal of George’s grief is singled out as especially powerful. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/review-a-single-man/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jeff Robson (80/100, inferred): Robson finds the film accomplished, moving and full of heart, despite a few quibbles about tone and focus. He especially praises Colin Firth’s subtle, deeply affecting performance. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/a-single-man-film-review-by-jeff-robson)
- **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (70/100, inferred): The review is positive overall, though it finds some character relationships unconvincing. It singles out Colin Firth’s quietly powerful performance as the film’s anchor. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a200224/a-single-man/)
- **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film appealing but ultimately uneven, with its ending feeling pat. He praises Colin Firth’s performance while criticizing the conspicuous color shifts. [Read](https://collider.com/a-single-man-blu-ray-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Tom Ford
- **Director:** Tom Ford
- **Screenplay:** David Scearce, Tom Ford
- **Novel:** Christopher Isherwood
- **Cinematography:** Eduard Grau
- **Editor:** Joan Sobel
- **Music:** Abel Korzeniowski
- **Production design:** Dan Bishop
- **Costume design:** Arianne Phillips
- **Producer:** Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz
- **Cast:** Colin Firth as George; Julianne Moore as Charley; Nicholas Hoult as Kenny; Matthew Goode as Jim; Jon Kortajarena as Carlos; Paulette Lamori as Alva; Ryan Simpkins as Jennifer Strunk; Ginnifer Goodwin as Mrs. Strunk
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Certificate (KMRB):** 15
- **Release (South Korea):** 27 May 2010
- **Genres:** Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $7 million
- **Box office:** $25 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdX3-5qBlQQ

## Where to watch in South Korea

Not streaming, renting or buying in South Korea at the last check.

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, CA, DE, DK, ES, FI, GB, IE, NL, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2010: Best Actor (nominated)
- Dorian Award for Film of the Year 2009: Dorian Award for Film of the Year (won)
- Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year 2009: Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year (won)

## If you liked this

- *Ikiru* (1952), Fi1m 92: A dying clerk’s last months, told with none of the varnish and twice the ache — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ikiru.md)
- *Far from Heaven* (2002), Fi1m 87: Julianne Moore in another immaculate early-sixties America where nobody can say what they mean — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/far-from-heaven.md)
- *Weekend* (2011), Fi1m 86: Two men, two days, one Nottingham flat; the plain, unstyled answer to Ford’s gloss — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/weekend.md)
- *Cabaret* (1972), Fi1m 88: Isherwood’s Berlin on screen, louder and crueller, with Liza Minnelli at the piano — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cabaret.md)
- *Nocturnal Animals* (2016), Fi1m 74: Ford’s second film, nastier and more confident, and still fussing over the furniture — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nocturnal-animals.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-single-man