Nice movie, very poignant

Rating: 8/10 (1 March 2010)

The people who made this movie should be praised for not giving in to the apologetic and self-righteous tone of so many "social progress" movies we've seen since the birth of cinema. Unfortunately some of the stylistic choices like the steel-guitar heavy soundtrack make it a bit too sincere for its own good, and there is a kind of pleading quality to some of Lee's scenes.
But for what it's worth, Ledger and Gyllenhaal are tremendous in the film and hold the entire package together. I found myself quite torn up by the story, after having laughed off some of the early scenes as a bit too much or too precious. There's a tasteful rhythm to the thing once it gets going, and Lee allows Ledger a long leash which Ledger does not abuse with his astonishing performance as the self-tortured silent type who holds the relationship back from becoming official. Gyllenhaal does a good job of portraying someone who is more open about his emotions, but still afraid to tell Ledger about his affair with another rancher (he tells his lover that he's having an affair with the man's wife instead). This is where we realize Ledger's character has only been able to live with the romance up to this point by considering it a "special" relationship between the 2 of them; the idea that Gyllenhaal's character might be with some other man is disastrous to him, and he even threatens to kill him.
The female characters are only spectators, and their role is fittingly smaller. Anne Hathaway did not impress me, didn't seem like any kind of Texas rural type at all. Michelle Williams did better with what she was given, and grabs a bit more of the audience's sympathy.
I don't have that much more to offer, except that I'm glad for the most part the movie avoided a "shock effect" that seemed obvious in the subject matter, and instead treated its subject with integrity. This isn't the story of gay love, it's a story of gay love. It's not really about sex, but it doesn't shy away from sex. It's a powerful portrait of how love is crushed not so much by "society" as by our obedience to society, our repressed fear and anger. In that respect it has more in common with, say, James Ivory's "Remains of the Day" than it does with activist "gay cinema" which is usually much more concerned with bringing about a resolution of the conflict between society and individual that always feels contrived in this still-sore area of social conflict. The film-makers did a great service to the characters by not sacrificing them at the altar of message-film.