I finally have a movie I can put in the 'must see' category

Tom Ford, the ad, fashion designer guy, decided to direct a film.

But not just any film. He took an incredibly difficult small novel from 1964. 'A Single Man', by Christopher Isherwood. It is very condensed, and about one day in the life of a gay man who is a professor at a university in California, who has recently lost his partner and is in mourning.

It is in the running to get the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival.

The NY Times had a very good review. Click here.

Isherwood isn't well known, but was an artist. Two of his Berlin books later became 'Caberet', and he was considered one of the foremost authors of the last century for his style, and content. He led an astounding life, and his autobiographies can leave you open-mouthed. The very best of them was 'Christopher And His Kind'. In an age when there weren't any people to look up to and want to emulate, there he was in all his glory. And better still, he talked about writing as art, and explained what he was doing, trying to acheive in his novels.

He was an exceptional man, someone I looked up to, felt as if I were a friend, could make me feel exasperated, but he was there. And was an important influence on me, as a person, how he lived, and how we look at the world.

I don't believe I have read that novel since the AIDS crisis began, but I should now, in light of that. It is about loss, and regaining the strength to join humanity again after isolating yourself. Very terse but beautiful prose, in other words.

So I am very much looking forward to seeing what that project became on film.

I hope it wins in Venice.