Colin Firth: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. George Falconer - A Single Man

This is a beautiful film. Yes, Firth is its centre and heart but I mean beautiful in the traditional sense. Directed by former Gucci creative director Tom Ford, everything looks exquisite from, obviously, the costumes to the cinematography. Ford wanted to make a truly handsome film so, for that, he needed a truly handsome actor with depth and baggage and he found one in Colin Firth. Based on Christopher Isherwood's heartbreaking novella, it tells the story of George Falconer, an English professor whose heart was broken when his lover, Jim, died in a car crash eight months earlier. The film is brilliantly constructed over one day as George prepares to commit suicide and looks through the eyes of someone who is seeing the world for the last time. It is only through his old friendship with Charley (Julianne Moore) and college student Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) that he begins to realise the isolation he has subjected himself to for the past few months is the reason for his suicidal thoughts and that the "only thing that has made the whole thing worthwhile has been those few times that I was able to truly connect with another person". Unfortunately, George's realisation comes just too late as he collapses and dies. Each performance on this 'awesome' list has taken Firth further forward in his career and this one did the same as it not only put him on the awards circuit winning a Bafta and Golden Globe (and narrowly missing out on the Best Actor Oscar to Jeff Bridge's performance in Crazy Heart) it also reminded the world that this actor, this man who wore a silly jumper in Bridget Jones was actually one of the most subtle and nuanced British screen actors of his generation. Obviously, it was a shame he missed out on Oscar glory but that would come soon enough...