Grabs you by the throat

Rating: 10/10 (22 July 2015)

*** This review may contain spoilers *** Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal give equally moving and accomplished performances, although the story tends to focus more on the latter character. Heath is note perfect in this role. I didn't detect a fake moment once from him. Regardless of whether or not he wins an Oscar, his performance in this movie will be watched and admired for years to come as an ode to acting. I truly related to his character's internalized homophobia. Every gay man has been there before. In many ways, he represents the embodiment of shame and self-hate, a product of his American, western culture. The flashback showing his father take him as a boy to look at the dead body of some murdered gay man should be shown to every Christian fundamentalist out there who ever argued (and continue to argue) that homosexuality is a choice and that gay men and lesbians are nurtured by their environment. I've seen the movie four times now, and Heath brings tears to my eyes every time - he's so good.
This is a film I am struggling to wean myself off. Its hard sitting through other movies now cause they all pale in comparison. Nothing has ever touched me like this. Its hard to imagine anything will ever again. I know you can't really give a film 11 out of 10 but there you have it. Brokeback Mountain is just that good.