I am so tired of seeing nothing but positive reviews.

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2006)

I was looking forward to this film for a couple of years before finally being able to see it. Hearing how "critically acclaimed" it was excited me, and actually seeing the film winning a billion times at the "Critic's Choice Awards" just made me want to see it even more. So, when it opened this weekend, my butt was in a seat as fast I could get it there.
I was extremely disappointed, after all was said and done. The film, as a whole, was mediocre and the story lacked so much. I find myself unable to pinpoint exactly what else the film needed, but it felt a little dry and empty - this is where the possibility of spoilers comes in.
To make sure that I get everything, it is important for me to go in chronological order, so here goes.
1. The very first time Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger) have sex, it feels insanely forced and not at all natural. It seemed as if it was something that was planned and awkward, rather than a natural occurrence. Not once prior in the film was there an inkling that they were sexually attracted to each other, and there was plenty of opportunity to build that part of the relationship up.
2. The sex overall was extremely harsh to watch. There were a total of three sex scenes in the film, and each was as harsh as the last. Perhaps it was to show inexperience, but it seemed very violent - especially between Ennis and his wife.
3. Save for one scene, you never really felt a romantic connection between Ennis and Jack. The relationship felt forced and didn't feel as though they were actually in love.
4. Characters that were just as important as Ennis were basically left out and forgotten. Alma (Michelle Williams) basically disappeared after the divorce; Ennis' other daughter, Jenny, may as well have not even been in the film. Jack's family was left out of most of the film, so we have no idea how they were really affected by anything at all. I would have loved to know how Alma was able to cope with finding out that Ennis was gay and what she told the girls. Her world was basically turned upside down when she caught Ennis and Jack together, and I think that this was a very pivitol moment that should have been addressed. Also, addressing how Jack's wife and son were affected by his monthly trips to Brokeback Mountain would have been nice. As well as delving more into the relationship between Jack and his father-in-law.
5. Jack's death, and Ennis' reaction to it were a bit cloudy. Was Jack actually beaten to death or was that merely Ennis' interpretation of it, based on a previous experience he had?
6. The ending fell a bit flat. "Jack, I swear..." what was that about?
I also felt that the film cut a bit too much. Reactions were cut out that should have been left in. Story lines were also cut out, when they should have been left in.
The make-up in the film was terrible as well. No one really aged; their hairstyles merely changed. With the make-up and technology available, a few wrinkles here or there would have been more than plausible.
The film had lots of potential, but it just fell flat and felt a bit empty. I think that this is the most disappointed I've ever felt after a film in a long time.