Brokeback Mountain

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2006)

From Oscar winning, and BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), this film was a good boost to his career. It is 1963, and the story of two men, rancher Ennis Del Mar (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Heath Ledger) and rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (BAFTA winning, and Oscar nominated Jake Gyllenhaal) hired to watch sheep along the summer for Joe Aguirre (Independence Day's Randy Quaid). As they spend more and more time together at Brokeback, they become good friends, and they find that they are becoming very close, and eventually realise that they love each other, but neither of them are gay. It is only when returning to their ordinary lives that they realise how much they really want each other. Over the many years they only see each other at Brokeback every few months, and both have to try and bare it. The film has rather a tearful ending when Ennis is sent a card saying Jack is deceased (he was beaten to death for being queer), and Ennis goes to Jack's parents' house to show his remorse, and take a memento. Also starring Linda Cardellini as Cassie, Scary Movie's Anna Faris as Lashawn Malone, Anne Hathaway as Lureen Newsome and Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Michelle Williams as Alma. It won the Oscars for Best Music for Gustavo Santaolalla and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, and it was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Motion Picture of the Year, it won the BAFTAs for Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and the David Lean Award for Direction, and it was nominated the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Cinematography and Best Editing, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Original Song for "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" and Best Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Original Score. Very good!