A movie that's hard to forget

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2006)

My initial thoughts on leaving the cinema were of slight disappointment given all the "hype". Despite attending a "preview" screening before the new year (in the UK where the movie has only just been released) the screen quality was poor (dusty and out of focus). I'd also expected more "chemistry" between the two leads but with the benefit of hindsight I guess I was just expecting more overt "gay"ness, which really isn't what this movie is about.
In the two weeks since I saw it, the subtleties of it keep coming back to haunt me and the little touches that are all the way through it suddenly come back to me. I've come to realise that the chemistry between the two leads is there and true to the characters. The movie is over two hours long and as someone who is still complaining about the three hours of my life wasted watching King Kong that I'll never get back (there was a really good 90 minute movie in there somewhere that got lost in poor dialogue and over-indulgence and some pretty ropey effects work) that isn't something I'd regard as a good thing normally. 90-100 minutes is as longs as should be needed to tell a story. But this movie is different. It takes its time, particularly in the first hour, but that's what makes it so powerful in the second half. It leaves you wanting more, looking at your watch wondering where the time went.
The acting is superb from ALL those involved, minor and major characters, but if I had to single out any actor I'd agree with those who think this is a "career best" performance for Ledger as Ennis. He is outstanding, and bear in mind this is a comment coming from someone who'd dismissed the actor because of what appeared to be rather homophobic remarks he'd made about not being gay himself.
If this movie doesn't win a whole bunch of Oscars for direction, for acting, for the score, for the cinematorgraphy.... there's no justice in the world.
Bottom line: It's not a "feel good" movie but it's one that you won't forget. Go and see it!
NB: Unlike the other ecstatic reviewers I've given it a 9 rather than a 10 (10 means it just couldn't have been any better, but I thought the ageing of the characters wasn't very convincing which marked it down). Don't let that lack of a 10 put you off. I generally wait for a movie on DVD but I went to the cinema to see this and despite the poor viewing experience because of the poor cinema facilities I will probably go and see it again before the DVD comes out (but at a different cinema). Until I saw this "Crash" was my favourite movie of 2005. "Crash" just became my second favourite movie of 2005. Enough said!