Not as great as the hype, but deeply moving

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2006)

Perhaps the hype surrounding this film, together with my enthusiasm for the short story on which its based, caused me to go in with my expectations too high, but I found "Brokeback Mountain" mildly disappointing. It was a good film, but it wasn't the great film I was hoping for. I'd like to see the film a second time on the big screen, the sign of a good film; but it's not a film I feel a need to own, which would have been the sign of a great film. (By way of a benchmark, recent films that did fall into my must-own category were "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "Goodbye Lenin.")
I can't put my finger on why "Brokeback Mountain" failed to meet my must-own criteria. The actors gave surprisingly good performances. I was particularly impressed with Anne Hathaway during her phone conversation with Heath Ledger's character--she did an excellent job of conveying her character's private thoughts with just small movements of her eyes. Heath Ledger's various nominations for best actor awards are well deserved, though I hesitate to say his performance actually ought to win those awards. I'd say the same about Ang Lee's nominations for best director. Depending on what the competition is, I wouldn't mind seeing "Brokeback Mountain" take the Best Picture trophy at the Oscar's.
Still, there was something about the film that didn't quite come together. I was close to crying a couple times, but only close--the film couldn't get me over the edge. (By contrast, I still weep every time I watch the flying Lenin bust in "Goodbye Lenin.") The film steered well away from the sin of maudlin sentiment, but its emotional energy didn't come into the tight focus that would have made it not just good but great.
I will say two more things in the film's favor, though: First, it is a highly faithful rendering of the original short story. The dialog, even certain articles of clothing, were true to Annie Proulx's original vision. A good film doesn't necessarily have to be faithful to its original material (the film adaptations of "Yentl" and "Orlando" come to mind). But the conscientious fidelity of this film impressed me. There was only one significant deviation from Proulx's story: a certain character with whom Jack gets involved at one point (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers) is a woman in the short story, not a man as in the film. I presume the change was made to simplify Jack's sexuality--a regrettable move but understandable given the contemporary politics of sexuality, which favors clear-cut distinctions between gay and straight. A similar kind of change was made in the film version of E. M. Forster's "Maurice."
The second, and final, thing I need to say on behalf of this film is something that many others have commented on as well. The film stays with you. For two days afterward, I was in a kind of funk somewhere between sadness and moist-eyed gratitude that I live in a time and place where I can BE with the man I love, thank you God. As a matter of hard-nosed aesthetic criticism, I wish the film could have coupled that "aftereffect" with a more powerful in-theater experience. Still, the "aftereffect" is an accomplishment.