No Oscar and for good reason

Rating: 3/10 (13 January 2008)

Ang Lee attempted and failed to direct an Oscar worthy contender.
I watched this film after the Oscar awards. So when it didn't win on Oscar night, and I heard the talk the next day on the radio about what an upset that was, I could not comment one way or the other. But now, having seen it a couple of times, in my opinion, this film was much too flawed to even be a contender. I think the only reason it was even nominated was merely political since it was labeled a "ground breaking" film.
The first and most obvious problem was the lead acting. Jake Gylenhaal and Heath Ledger had no business starring in this film. How they made it past the screen tests into the movie is beyond me. They have no on-screen chemistry whatsoever. They severely lack passion for each other and the "love scenes" look and feel forced as well as awkward. I have seen both of these actors in previous roles. Jake in "The Good Girl" and Heath in "A Knight's Tale" in which both performances were well above average and deserved notice. Not this time though I'm afraid.
However, the supporting roles of Ann Hathaway and especially Michelle Williams are brilliant! And notable mention Randy Quaid as well.
The second problem was the story telling itself. Again, I was not swayed to believe much of anything going on or that I should even care. Ang Lee failed to capture the emotion of a scene multiple times. For instance, when Heath begins to cry after they first part ways when coming off the mountain, is this because he knows he will miss Jack or is it because he is ashamed of what he's done? Same with the scene between Ennis and Elma in bed when they realize their marriage is not working, the scene falls flat on it's face. Those are simply a couple of examples of the many plot holes and empty story telling that Ang Lee has failed to fulfill.
Overall, I would say this film is worth a look. And on some level, is slightly entertaining. It is however, not at all worth the hype and acclaim that it has received.