Saturday, May 14, 2011

"A Single Man"

By mistake I rented A Single Man. Sent it back immediately. Listen to this:
Set during the height of the Cuban missle crisis, it depicts a day in the life of gay college professor George Falconer (Colin Firth). Falconer is still coming to terms with the untimely death of lover Jim (Matthew Goode).

This just makes me run away screaming.
One of my favorite authors, Tim Powers, said it well when he talked about why he writes fantasy, stories on a bigger canvas: "I don't want to write about 'the human heart in conflict with itself'."

To me, stories where all the conflict is emotional and never resolved, are self-indulgent and myopic. One has to have a bigger perspective on life.

... I apologize to fans of such movies, this was just how I feel/felt. If somebody gets a lot out of it, who am I to naysay that. Now I'm waffling, sure, but we can all learn and change.       :-)

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* It was William Faulkner who said that the human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about.

8 comments:

Mary said...

I agree. Wouldn't waste time watching that, life is too short.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Thank you.

I'm not proud of such critical posts, but sometimes I just feel like I have to get something out.

Timo Lehtinen said...

I am sorry you can't see it. But according to reviews, this is a good film. Films are not necessarily about the plot. In fact to my own personal taste, more interesting films are often less about the plot.
Don't look at the plot, look at the scenes. Look at it as rhythm, as flow, the dynamics in its continuity. As a composition, seen as a whole.

Mary said...

Don't agree, the story line is enough to put most people off. I would not pay to see such a film and I don't know anyone that would.

Jan said...

Well I for one have watched and enjoyed it.

It's about a very dramatic part of the main character's life and contains many things that make me think or at least give me the illusion that they make me think about life and love (things I'm still trying to figure out). It also helps me learn about the world gay friends and colleagues live in (although it plays in a different era). The music and acting were pretty good too.

Sorry you didn't like it. But that's ok. The world would be boring if everyone liked the exact same things. :-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Yeah, I might even like it, in the right mood and company.

Anonymous said...

Films are not necessarily about the plot. In fact to my own personal taste, more interesting films are often less about the plot.

You're looking at this from the perspective of someone who doesn't have ADHD and an I.Q. above 60. :-)

Anonymous said...

Kidding, btw, re: smiley face.