Good, But Not Classic Love Story

Rating: Null/10 (28 July 2006)

The Joe Cool Review: Brokeback Mountain(2005)
Starring: Heath Ledger as Ennis del Mar, Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist, Michelle Williams as Alma, and Anne Hathaway as Lureen Newsome
Plot: Two cowboys work a summer job at Brokeback Mountain, and forge a close personal relationship. Their secretive bond goes on for many years and affects not only themselves but those around them. Based on the story by E. Annie Proulx.
Opener: First of all, if you haven't heard of this movie, you've probably lived under a rock for the past year. This little love story about two guys, caused quite a stir amongst people in 2005. Whether it was the political agendas, religions ones, homosexuals demanding rights or even something as trivial as the results of the Academy Awards, controversy surrounded this movie. Brokeback Mountain, I will boldly say, is probably the most controversial film since The Passion of the Christ. But the big question is that if you take away all the hype, all the politics and everything, does Brokeback Mountain equal a great film?
The Good: Ang Lee has one thing going for him. He knows how to direct. Which is good, because of the fact he's a director. There are some beautiful visuals of them in the wilderness, and the story itself is molded together to form a well-directed film that I'm sure will be considered Ang Lee's visual masterpiece. Heath Ledger gives a great performance here as Ennis, who is obviously conflicted by his relationship with Jack and paranoid that he'll be caught by those around him. He works well with his co-stars and the result is a performance that was deserving of it's Oscar nomination. Not to mention he managed to create a voice for Ennis that sounds nothing like himself. Anne Hathaway should also be noted, because between this and Havoc she's really showing her acting chops as far as being outside of kiddie films. She's not in this movie that much because it's not really about her character, but you can tell she's ready for bigger and better things. Michelle Williams also does a good job as Alma.
The Bad: Two things really hinder this movie from being a "classic". One is the character of Jack Twist. Not exactly Jake's performance of him, just the way the character was written. He just seems over-the-top at times, and really annoying. Not only that but the casting was all wrong as I don't buy him as a roughneck cowboy for a second, even with the mustache. The other thing that really hurt this film was it's first half. The entire time it showed them at Brokeback Mountain the first time, was extremely dull. It seemed like all they were doing was herding sheep and eating beans, with just a little bit of, "Oh I love you let's have sex" thrown in to get the point across. It took forever to get to that point. Luckily the second half picked up or else my opinion of this movie would not nearly be as favorable.
The Ugly: Nothing in the movie really, unless you're seriously offended by the subject matter. In which case, why would you be reading a review of it or thinking about watching it?
The Verdict: Brokeback Mountain is a good film, probably in the upper echelon of the 2005 films. The controversy and everything probably over-hyped it to the point where some people think it's better than it actually is. It's good, but nowhere near the "eye-opening" classic people are claiming it to be. I still recommended to anyone who appreciates a good love story, or a good film.
Rating: ***1/2 of *****