The Best of the Year

Rating: 10/10 (15 January 2006)

Brokeback Mountain has been called many things that include "The Gay Cowboy Movie" and "Racist" The film is far from being either, on the other hand it is pretty much the opposite of racist and calling it "The Gay Cowboy Movie" Is a huge mistake. First of all about the gay cowboy thing they are presumably bi-sexual, not homosexual, and they may even not be that because particularly Ennis doesn't seem to be interested in any other men besides Jack. Brokeback Mountain is also in my opinion and instant classic, and a film everyone should see at one point or another. The plot: Two men in their early twenties try out for a summer job of caring for and herding several hundred sheep on Brokeback Mountain together. They are Ennis Del Mar a soft-spoken disturbed man who has a woman (Alma) waiting to marry him when he returns. And Jack who is the elder of the two is more outspoken and used to and easier life. He is also the first to give in to the desire he feels for Ennis. They learn that one has too sleep illegally up on the peak of the mountain with the sheep to take care of them and that the other will stay at the main camp cook and such. One day they shoot an elk and have a party. They get drunk and it gets dark and they decide Ennis should just stay there for the night. He at first sleeps outside he tent but after getting really cold moves in with Jack. After some awkward situations they make love. The next day they are both scared and disturbed and say to each other that it was a one-time thing but they both know they want more. After several days they fall into bed again, and again and slowly fall in love. Jack and Ennis part at the end of the summer, both marry Ennis to Alma and Jack to a rodeo cowgirl named Laureen in Texas. They both have children and don't meet again for four years. This chain of events leads to a twenty yearlong secret love affair on Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain is one of the hardest films to watch since Raging Bull, and possibly one of the best since than too. The performances in particular are wonderful. Jake Gyllenhaal is in my opinion the stand out as Jack, he gives the best male supporting performance since Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, and I will venture to say one of the best ever. Heath Ledger would probably come in second as Ennis. He gives a performance that reminds us of a young Marlon Brando. Ledger is completely unrecognizable in his roll, he has been for a long time a teen heart throb playing in movies like A Nights Tale and Ten Things I Hate About You, but this year he has really come into his own giving two wonderful performances in Lords of Dogtown and Brokeback Mountain. Michelle Williams plays Alma and although she can't top the men she still gives a wonderful performance. She has some wonderful scenes in which she grieves over finding out about Ennis's affair but still can't help loving him. Anne Hathaway shows surprising depth as Laureen Jacks wife. Her performance is easily the most underrated of the year and surpasses that of Michelle Williams who is headed towards Oscar gold. Her accent never breaks and she has so much emotion hidden just under the surface. The screenplay is also wonderfully written by the master who gave us The Last Picture Show. He crafts his characters so perfectly, and between the wonderful acting and the writing we don't really need his wonderful dialogue to get everything. Ang Lee has given us some wonderful films before such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, and The Ice Storm. They are always different from anything done before, and this Brokeback Mountain is probably his best. Brokeback will certainly have a good run at the Oscars this year with locks for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress, and is expected to win many of them including Best Picture and it is one of the few films in years that actually deserves it. I suggest that you see this masterpiece whether you wait for the DVD or not, it is simply a must see.