Unbelievably bad

Rating: 1/10 (24 April 2006)

Is Hollywood kidding? Is this what the movie industry and the pseudo-intellectuals are offering the viewing public today? Is everyone so determined to fit the "politically correct" jigsaw concerning homosexual acceptance that our society is pushing today that we would accept this blather as art? Many aspects of this movie were painfully numbing:
1. Pacing. This was one of the most painfully slowly paced movies that I have ever seen. Nothing of any great import happened for a good 20-30 minutes, unless you enjoy watching sheep herding, horse sitting, camp sitting, etc.. The rest of the movie was no better. Most of this could have been condensed into a 1-1/2 hour movie or less.
2. Acting. Heather Ledger needs lessons in diction. There were times (and there were many) where I had to strain and replay just to understand what he was saying. I suppose that limited facial expressions and monotone delivery of lines mean restrained acting today, but many times I thought he was falling asleep. Jake Gyllenhaal was no better, with his constant puppy-eyed looks and dog-erred smiles. The only actor who showed any spark was Randy Quaid, who unfortunately was not in the movie often enough.
3. Love scenes. The first came out of nowhere, and left me wondering "did I miss something, or is this just lust....and a way to market this movie". This was supposed to be some amazing love story, full of thunder and passion, a love story for all, gay or straight, but all I saw were 2 guys "getting it on" or what I would call gratuitous sex. The only passion I saw was at the end, when Heather Ledger's character realizes his loss. If this movie was full of passion, I certainly didn't see it.
4. Hype. I have seldom viewed a movie with so much unbelievable hype, only to discover that the end product could never live up to it. Definitely not Oscar material.
There were, however, a few aspects of this film do deserve attention.
1. Cinematography. This cinematography was beautifully mastered, from the sweeping vistas of Wyoming to the fireworks scene at the park. Flawlessly done.
2. Scenery. I never realized that Wyoming could be so beautiful, even in winter. The mountains and valleys were glorious to the point that they overpowered the movie itself, which considering wasn't such a bad thing.
If you strive to be "politically correct" or enjoy enduring over 2 hours of boredom, watch this film. Otherwise, don't waste your time.