So what?

Rating: 6/10 (2 May 2006)

With all the lavishing of praise on this film I was expecting something spectacular. The subdued cinematography was excellent and the portrayals were wonderful (even the mushed-mouth lines of Heath Ledger) but the film left me wondering what it was all about.
In a typical love story there is a certain amount of build up, a certain amount of care and planning. Yearning and care. There was non of that. The story went from 2 cowboys herding sheep, to a wham bam sex scene and then a bunch of wandering and muted yearning.
Honestly, I have seen more tenderness in an episode of OZ then in this movie. While I believe there are some redeeming efforts I found that there was so much unspoken (Randy Quaid's 'picking up" on the situation by 2 single and very brief visits to camp -- and the one encounter between the cowboys is supposed to telegraph a great passion) The only true glimpse I saw of Jack's care for Ennis was when Jack was not even on the screen. It was from Jack's mother that I got an inkling of Jack's passion for Ennis.
A movie like this could have been great, a 10, but I find it hard to stick with the 6 I am giving it. The only good thing is that when Hollywood has something that makes money they will remake it and maybe then they can get it right.