Good

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2007)

I'm sure we've all heard enough about the "gay cowboy" movie, but I decided to go check the film out with a friend one Saturday afternoon. Ang Lee's previous works that I've seen (i.e. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm and Eat Drink Man Woman) haven't disappointed me in the past, so I figured this one would be good too.
For the most part, I feel that it was. The pace and the directing was pretty typical for Ang Lee, which means a little slow (not necessarily a bad thing) and very controlled and subtle. The performances were very good, with Heath Ledger at a level you never would have expected from his filmography and Michelle Williams having one of the most difficult scenes to watch. These was a bit of sex on screen (both homosexual and heterosexual), but nothing outside of what we're used to from the industry. If this makes you uncomfortable or is otherwise unhealthy for you to see, I would recommend avoiding this one.
The story was a bit limited, but the source materials isn't too deep, so it's unsurprising. I think viewing the film as a love story isn't the best way to see it and I think there would've been a bit more to gain by focusing more on Heath Ledger's character and reducing the screen time spent on Jake Gyllenhaal's character. If that happened, then the film might've been a very potent exploration of the character's self-discovery and growth, but as it is, focusing on the relationship between the two errant cowboys as much as it did took a bit of air out of beneath of the wings of the story's dramatic focus in Heath Ledger's character.
Still, it was a good enough work for what it was, well directed, with solid performances. It could've been more, but it settled for just good in my eyes. It certainly won't deter my interest in watching future films from Mr. Lee. 8/10.