I thought the movie was slow and didn't hit it's stride...

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2005)

I don't know what movie everyone else is seeing, but the movie I saw was very slowly-paced and my partner and I kept waiting for the movie to hit it's stride...
Now, don't get me wrong, we totally understand why, initially, the story had to be stretched out...We had to see that this relationship developed over time and that the two didn't just go up the mountain and start being intimate with each other...But, then, the rest of the movie seemed to pace just as slowly...
The direction/production were beautiful...Wow! The scenery was amazing, but the storyline just didn't seem to flow...I've never read the short story, but was there anything omitted in the film from the story that might have made it a little different? I had been waiting to see this movie for almost a year...Two major stars in a nationally released gay themed major motion picture??? I'm totally on board! But, after waiting that year, and then going to LA to see it a week ahead of everyone else, I felt disappointed...I wasn't looking for a lot of 'I love you's' or a lot of graphic sex because I know middle America wouldn't go for that, but I was looking for a movie that would hopefully, finally change some people's views of things...I still hope this movie does that, but we never saw genuine love or grief, we only saw lust and wanting...We, along with the rest of the audience, should have left that theater in tears...That's what would move middle America...I see it's getting a lot of awards, so maybe that helps...
Lastly, (if you haven't seen the movie do not read this part) I don't understand why if Ennis doubled over in pain and hurt when Jake left him the first time did he not have a stronger reaction to Jake's death? We kept waiting for the heartfelt hurt and agony that would come from the loss of someone you had spent 20+ years with, but it never came...Especially, since Ennis wasn't there when Jake passed...That would make it even worse...Again, was that in the short story? How can someone not react to that? I'm proud of the film, it's directors and it's actors...I'm just not too keen on the pace of the story...Hopefully, the DVD will offer some deleted scenes or alternate endings...The current ending had us leaving the theater saying, 'um, what...........'