So this is the new trailer for Tom Ford’s film A Single Man, which stars Colin Firth as an Oscar winner. And, according to Harvey Weinstein, who bought the film, it will also make Ford a Best Director or Best Picture winner. And, according to this trailer, it will also make audiences completely confused that the film is about gay stuff!
Sure, there are shots of Matthew Goode, as Firth’s deceased lover, spliced in there. But if you were none the wiser, you would think it was Firth and Julianne Moore’s character getting it on.
Not helping things: the movie poster.
Chisne
The original trailer featured the names of Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. This is telling. I don’t get it. If anything, the gay aspect will draw a bigger crowd. Do the marketing people believe straight men are into “boring, arty dramas”? Please, they’d rather watch John Cena’s next film.
scott ny'er
i have NO idea what this movie is about. Some ’60s drama is my guess. About a hetero couple who smoke and stare a lot. That’s what I got.
There were glimpses of homo flirting but that might be too subtle for the average hetero to pick up.
The Milkman
Julianne Moore looks amazing.
Squid
Who cares about the poster, when the fact is it’s the best movie of the year so far (having not seen Precious or Avatar yet).
Cam
Hollywood = Nothing is more homophobic than an entire community of closet cases.
Cam
No. 1 · Chisne said…
Do the marketing people believe straight men are into “boring, arty dramas”?
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You NAILED it! It’s as if they think that Brokeback Mountain made over 100 million because Teenaged Males were going to see it instead of Transformers.
UWSguy
can’t wait to see it
Felix
“About a hetero couple who smoke and stare a lot.”
LOL
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
Maybe it’s to trick the homophobic exhibitors until they see Box Office Money. There’s always been a backlash since ‘Brokeback Mountain’
GimmeABreak
I wonder if this is going to turn out like your story about the straight couple who wound up on a gay cruise and then sued. Guess a bunch of straight couples will wind up suing movie theaters.
David Ehrenstein
It’s a gay movie — and a very good one. Straights WILL be pissed.
McShane
Sounds like a very good movie. Juliaane Moore is an awesome and daring actress. I suppose he could wear eyeliner, but that would look silly too. Sexuality is what makes many of us gay. “Savage Grace” was a killer.
PEter
Well Million Dollar Baby was promoted as a girl boxer film with nothing about assisted suicide mentioned in any promo…
kiwifrench
Uh. First, the trailer shows Colin Firth and Julianne Moore kissing. The audience is obviously going to assume that they’re “getting it on.” Second, there’s already an obviously non-heteronormative overtone, so why is anyone complaining about it? Is it implausible for a man to love or have sex with both men and women? Do you really need to have a movie marketed as a purely straight movie or a purely gay movie? Every trailer shouldn’t have to beat you over the head with “Hey guys! This is a gay movie! Seriously! It’s REALLY, REALLY GAY” for you to enjoy it. Last, it’s only fitting for Firth and Moore to be on the poster because theirs seems to be the central relationship in the film AND because they’re the major money-makers in the production. No good agent would let a male or female actor star in a film without being on the poster.
jason
I think they’re going for a gender balance. Gender balance helps to pull in the females. If the focus were on the love of two men, it would lack the gender balance, and hence be counter-productive.
Nevertheless, I do think they could combine the notion of gender balance with sexuality balance. Focus Features did it well with Brokeback Mountain.
jason
There is no such thing as a gay movie. I’ve never seen a dating service for gay movies. Movies can’t get up off a chair and ask a hot guy for a dance.
Cam
No. 13 · kiwifrench
Uh. First, the trailer shows Colin Firth and Julianne Moore kissing. The audience is obviously going to assume that they’re “getting it on.” Second, there’s already an obviously non-heteronormative overtone, so why is anyone complaining about it? Is it implausible for a man to love or have sex with both men and women? Do you really need to have a movie marketed as a purely straight movie or a purely gay movie? Every trailer shouldn’t have to beat you over the head with “Hey guys! This is a gay movie!
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Your point would be valid if there was even ONE major movie a year that came out with any kind of gay overtone. However, when that is not the case, to purposely obscure the central theme of the movie is akin to what they did in movie posters of “The Bodyguard” when they inked them so that Kevin Costner and Whitney Houstons skin tones looked the same.
rudy
The trailer isn’t just misleading, it’s terrible.
Po
Hmm, I thought the trailer looked interesting. Actually reminded me of early previes of Far From Heaven which was a little vague on the gay/interracial storyline. The oscar race should be interesting. I want to see Julianne Moore get hers(to me she’s a better actress than Kate Winslet) but Monique has a huge following behind her role in Precious. Have there been any good supporting actors this year???
McShane
@No. 14 · kiwifrench ; you’re right all the way. “regular ” people need to be hit with the reality that it is not just one way or the other with sex=that’s just not accurate to what happens. I was invited to a men’s sex party lately , and it’s my understanding that at least 1/2 of the guys are married.
Someone who uses Facebook for hunting a third male, said that at least 1/2 of the respondents were married.
There are a lot more bi or closetsd gays. Meterosexuality is here.
rudy
This film, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood (one of our best-known gay writers),has nothing to do with metrosexuality.
It’s about a college professor in 1962 getting over the death of his longtime male partner.
Julianne Moore plays his best friend.
Noa
I for one am a huge fan of Ford! Can’t wait to see Ford’s directorial debut!
http://londonoa.com/2009/11/15/a-single-man-by-tom-ford
Noa Xx