Taking two lives in context

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2006)

Describing "Brokeback Mountain" as "that gay cowboy movie" is simplistic and condescending. When talking about male/male and male/female relationships, this has much more depth than a lot of other movies. I think director Ang Lee and screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana knew that they had a great project in adapting author Annie Proulx's short story to the big screen.
Sometimes you can tell if actors are not totally invested in their roles especially if the script is weak. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal convinced me that they were Ennis and Jack. Both actors give their best performances to date.
A good film can be an even great film if you have a strong supporting cast and "Brokeback" is no exception. They include Randy Quaid as the ranch owner who first hired Ennis and Jack, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway as the wives of Ennis and Jack respectively, Linda Cardellini as the waitress Ennis meets after his divorce and Kate Mara as Ennis' eldest daughter. Also, Roberta Maxwell's brief scenes as Jack's mother were very memorable.
(On a side note, the last short story that I thought was adapted brilliantly to the big screen was Stephen King's "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" which became "The Shawshank Redemption". Is it a coincidence that Thomas Newman's music from "Shawshank" is being used for the TV ads and the trailers for "Brokeback"?)
It may take more than just one viewing to see if a film holds up to close scrutiny. With "Brokeback" receiving so much buzz and controversy, that scrutiny will continue. It's been about a few days since watching "Brokeback" and I'm convinced that it should be called an instant classic.