Boring cinema marketed as a classic

Rating: 2/10 (30 June 2006)

I really wanted to like this film. Brokeback Mountain is a film congratulating itself on its greatness without really achieving it on even a small scale.
Romantic love between two people is an interesting subject for a film, if intelligently pursued with an interesting plot. However, besides the stunning backdrop of the mountains and lush cinematography, what I experienced in Brokeback Mtn was melodrama, mis-casting (both Michelle Williams and Anne Hathway look like and act like they are 12) bad hair-do's, and a very unflattering portrait of gay men. The use of light (the violent "love scene" that was so dark you couldn't see anything) the twilight zone type grey hues of Jack's parents house (which of course his parents had to be miserable, right?) the complete indifference of both men to their wives and children except for Ennis' relationship with his eldest daughter...the list goes on. Most of the time, I was bored out of my mind. And the scene with Jack and Lureen going to dinner and her friend's husband hits on him...I mean, come on!! I think the time has come for real gay romances, male or female. To me, though, BM just isn't that movie. Maybe for some, but I think this movie's success is based more on what society thinks it is ready for in terms of gay cinema, than on its actual merits. There are better gay (or just romantic films in general, forget the labels) films being made that aren't getting the publicity.