Rather overrated

Rating: 6/10 (6 March 2006)

This review is not going to be the heaps of praise that most other reviewers have given this film. Imagine, just for a moment, that it's not a film about a gay love story, but about a 'straight' love story. What's left?
Well, it's a story about two people, spanning several decades. The photography is very well done and the opening shots of the outdoors on Brokeback Mountain are very promising... but somehow, I find it very difficult to feel any sympathy for the main characters. They seem self-centered in their actions, and the anti-gay sentiment is never really made felt. It's also a rather slow film, never picking up anywhere. There's no climax, it just... ambles on.
In my opinion, the subject matter (which I can only praise, and about which there should be a lot more films) got the better of the perception of Brokeback Mountain. It's not a bad film, not in the least, but a masterpiece? No.
In this light, I'm not surprised that it didn't score nearly as well at the Academy Awards as was thought beforehand.
However, it does deserve praise for tackling a subject which is still very contentious in the more conservative areas of the world, and for being a film with originality. After all the rehashes, adaptations and sequels, that *is* a relief.