Mesmerising

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2010)

I was completely mesmerised by Brokeback Mountain. It is such a beautiful and poignant film, that also benefits from being gorgeously shot and adeptly acted and directed. The film does move slowly of course, but I personally think that Brokeback Mountain was deliberately paced like that(I said very similar things about 2001 and The Godfather too, they are constantly criticised for being boring yet both had their reasons for being paced like that). The slow pacing allowed us to empathise with the characters more, and that paid off, because the characterisations are superb. As are the beautifully written and thought-provoking screenplay and gentle scoring. Ang Lee's direction is the best it's been here I feel, while the cinematography and scenery are simply breathtaking. The acting is excellent. Heath Ledger I think gives his best performance here(sorry Dark Knight fans, I loved him there, but he was beyond amazing here), while Jake Gyllanhaal is very believable, and Michelle Williams is heart-wrenching. Also Brokeback Mountain is quite emotionally affecting, it really makes you think and the sheer beauty of the visuals, acting and story are enough to make me cry, and I was in pieces after the ending. In conclusion, a mesmerising film. 10/10 Bethany Cox