A Moving Experience

Rating: 7/10 (8 January 2006)

I will admit that I was one of those people who had serious reservations about seeing this movie. I wouldn't classify myself as homophobic by any stretch of the imagination, but I just didn't think I would be interested in seeing this grand, epic love story about two cowboys. For one thing, I don't think I would be interested in seeing ANY movie about two men in love. For another, they're COWBOYS, for Pete's sake! Cowboys aren't gay! Well, these two are actually sheepherders. So I guess at least the sheep got a break that winter.
I drug myself out to a showing of the film anyway, first chance I got. For one reason and one reason only - I always see as many Oscar contenders as possible. And apparently this one is going to be quite the contender. Maybe the one to beat, ala The Aviator last year? Here's hoping Munich comes through in Million Dollar Baby's spoiler role. Hey, I'm not saying I didn't like Brokeback Mountain. I most certainly did. But I liked Munich a lot better. Just like I enjoyed Good Night, And Good Luck a lot better. And Syriana. And Crash. And several other movies this year.
Ang Lee did a remarkable job with this movie. I would join the legions who are saying he made up for The Hulk with this movie. But I happened to think The Hulk was an excellent movie, and one of the best comic book adaptations I've seen yet. But the fact that Lee was able to make me care about these two guys is incredible. I seriously went into the theater expecting to have to make myself suffer through this thing. But Lee did two things that proved me wrong.
First, he kept the sex scenes to a bare minimum and handled them as tastefully as possible. You get the idea of what's going on but you don't walk away with the images burned into your brain. This made the whole thing a lot easier to digest.
Second, he created a cast of characters so real, so textured, so believable, so HUMAN, that you couldn't resist getting caught up in their story. Actually, the credit for this fact probably goes to the screenwriters more so than Lee. But hey, Lee brought them to life on the screen.
The actors, too, went a long way toward making the movie great. Jake and Heath should both be nominated for Oscars. I know Heath is getting all the attention for his slow-burn role as Ennis. But Jake took what is basically an unsympathetic role and made Jack Twist someone we could care about. (I know Gene Shalit has said Jack Twist is a sexual predator who leads Ennis astray. I don't see it quite that way, but Shalit probably has a point to a certain degree.) The most moving part of the movie, for me, is the final confrontation between Jack and Ennis. It's a tender, touching, volatile, wrenching, heartbreaking scene.
The last scene of the movie, after Ennis learns his daughter is getting married, will be burned into my consciousness forever. What a closing shot.
I'm not sure this thing is Best Picture material. It's probably in my Top Ten list of films I've seen this year, but it's nowhere near Number One. Still, I'm glad I saw it. And that's pretty amazing in itself.