It's all hype

Rating: 4/10 (1 January 2006)

It's all hype due to the politically correct subject matter. Yes Heath Ledger is impressively expressive through his inarticulateness, but this movie is endlessly long. None of the relationships are persuasive. As far as the two cowboys go, their pain is palpable but not their love.
Ang Lee has previously shown that he can portray courtship ("Sense and Sensibility") and narrative thrust ("Crouching Tiger"). Neither ability is present in "Brokeback." The scene flow is jerky. The story is overly elliptical: why the divorce? why not marry the waitress-dancer? The multitudinous sheep on the mountain are the best thing about this movie.