So much more than a gay cowboy movie

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2006)

I'll admit, the first time I heard about a gay cowboy movie with huge Oscar buzz, my mind went immediately to that episode of South Park about the independent films with gay cowboys eating pudding. Of course, my second thought was whether or not it would actually be more than just that: a gay cowboy movie. While, I will admit, I was a little scared to go an see this, just because, like any teenage guy, there is a hidden layer of homophobia we often let get the best of us, since I had the opportunity to see this before the Oscars (making it one of two Best Picture noms seen so far, along with Crash), I wasn't going to pass it up. Thankfully, I didn't, as while Brokeback is certainly flawed, it is a moving romance, in spite of the subject matter.
The story of Brokeback Mountain is fairly simple at first, but escalates later, meaning that it is hard to tell enough without spoiling it. At the start, Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) are hired by Joe Aguirre (Quaid) as ranch hands to take care of getting some sheep across the mountains. This means that the two of them are alone with no company besides each other. One night, after some drinking, the two of them end up sharing the same tent.
Well, you can probably guess what happens next. Suffice to say that the two of them had a little more than a hangover the next morning. Instead of trying to put it in the past, Jack and Ennis actually fall in love and continue their relationship until the job is done. They both go their separate ways, get married and have kids. When, four years later, Jack contacts Ennis, they have an affair that puts their normal lives in turmoil.
It's when they start the affair that the movie kicks into gear and becomes interesting. This would be about forty five minutes to one hour into the movie. Not say the first half is boring, but it definitely pales in comparison. Before it reaches that point, there seem to be a lot of pointless scenes that really have no significance whatsoever. It could have used a little more editing, to say the least.
It is also worth noting that, for the sake of any straight males like myself in the audience, the homosexuality in the movie is actually not all that unnerving. The director played it smart by giving us the most graphic scenes early in the movie, so that the two of them making out later on really isn't that uncomfortable by comparison. In other words, don't be afraid of this movie just because of the content, as if you stick with it, that all becomes a footnote.
The main problem about the movie is that it becomes apparent that Ang Lee has no idea how to build up to a romance. I get that they were inebriated, but the first time that Jack and Ennis get intimate, it just seems completely out of nowhere as they had barely bonded whatsoever before then. Not to mention the fact that Ennis was engaged at the time. It seems that they go from just barely past strangers to in love within one night. The same problem does exist, although to a much lesser extent, with Jack and his wife Lureen (Hathaway), though it can be disregarded as the whole sequence of events that encompass that go by fairly quickly.
Even if the opening may be awkward, we definitely feel the passion between Jack and Ennis once it has been established, which is a sure sign of the excellent acting. You can really feel the passion they have for each other, despite the conditions under which that passion occurs. Neither of them were expecting it, nor wanting it, to happen, but it becomes an obsession that they both deal with in different ways. Gyllenhaal's Jack is filled with delusions that they should run away with each other and leave their life behind. For his part, Gyllenhaal is absolutely perfect, though it is Ledger who gets the more complex role. Jack Twist is very outgoing and impulsive, and Gyllenhaal shows the depths he sinks to as well as the child inside. Ennis Del Mar, on the other hand, is much more conservative, but his body language says it all, and Ledger perfects that. Both are incredible leading performances.
It would be wrong to praise the leads so openly and ignore the supporting cast, as one in particular stands out. That one would be Michelle Williams as Ennis' wife, who watches her marriage fall apart after Jack re-enters Ennis' life. There isn't much to say about her without spoiling parts of the movie, but suffice to say that her performance is definitely award worthy. Anne Hathaway, who plays Jack's wife, does not get as many powerful scenes, but she does quite well considering she was the Princess Diaries star not too long ago. The whole cast overall is quite exceptional, with two incredible leading performances backed up by two strong supporters.
Brokeback Mountain isn't just a movie about gay sex. It is about a passion that two individuals have for each other but have to keep covered up for fear of ruining their imperfect lives. After a while, you even forget it is about gay sex at all. That is the true mark of great movie making, especially when dealing with a topic so controversial. This movie definitely has its flaws, but it is one of the best romance movies I have ever seen. It took risks, and they paid off to make one of the best movies of the year.
Overall Rating Â– 89%
As a footnote, Crash is still my favourite for Best Picture, though I'd have no bad feelings is this took gold.