It should come as no surprise that a fashion designer would create a visually stunning movie. It would shock no one that it that this movie would be populated with gorgeous characters in gorgeous clothes inhabiting gorgeous sets. And Tom Ford's directorial debut, 'A Single Man', certainly has all that. In spades. What may be surprising, and delightfully so, is that the film is also amazingly complex with a rich story and layered characters that stay in your mind well after the viewing experience is finished. Ford knows the power of a well cut suit (and wardrobe does play a key role throughout the film) but he also has an innate grasp of narrative and an ability to elicit stunning performances from his cast.

Set in 1962, 'A Single Man' follows a day in the life of George Falconer (Colin Firth)--the day which George has chosen to be his last. Crippled with sadness over the death of his romantic partner of 16 years, George has decided that he can no longer endure the pain. Beginning in the moments before his awakening, we follow him through what he has determined to be his final day. In the process, we experience through him the simple moments of beauty that are only appreciated in the acknowledgement of their impending absence. The film alternates between a monochromatic palette (to mirror George's depressed worldview) and deeply saturated color (to capture George's heightened awareness of the fleeting beauty around him). The effect is powerful. Otherwise unremarkable shots--a smoggy Los Angeles vista, a little girl jumping rope, a dog in a car--are tranformed into images of rapturous radiance. The result is a movie so beautiful that it's breathtaking. And one that succeeds in the most rare ability of film: to make you appreciate the world that greets you outside the theater as much as the cinematic one you just left.

-Lucy Jones