A good film, but don't believe the hype!!!!

Rating: 7/10 (10 January 2006)

This film is getting a lot of attention for obvious reasons, the film has been adopted by people with agendas that have nothing to do with the film itself. It is of course about 2 cowboys that fall in love and have a secret homosexual relationship over a 20 year period. I went into this film wanting to see if it was as good as all the reviews are saying. Needless to say it is a good film, Heath Ledger gives a great performance, Jake Gyllenhaal is good but doesn't match the intensity of Ledger. They meet on a job during a summer,where they are alone, and have a sudden strong attraction towards each other. The movie is not really concerned with the physical part of the relationship. Director Ang lee should be credited with not dwelling on the obvious sexual encounters of the men. The movie believe it or not has a very tradition Hollywood structure, 2 lovers meet, realize they can't be together, and decide to have a a secret love affair. The fact that it is between 2 men is the reason that the film is garnering such attention. If the film's love story was between a man and a woman, the film would not be as highly regarded as it is. It bothers me because I think that as a film it is done with such care for its story. I do feel that the film does not focus on the wives of these 2 men enough. The truth is these 2 men are lying to the 2 people that love them, the movie really doesn't deal satisfactorally with that. The film will not change anyone's mind about the subject of homosexuality, I believe it is a compelling story. What I don't agree with is that it is being touted as a masterpiece simply because of the fact that the lovers are 2 men. The move is good on it's own merits, but it is really not what it is being made out to be. To call this the greatest love story ever as I have read I think is disengenious, it is a compelling human story, but it bothers me that this movie is being treated as if it were a masterpiece for political reasons.