I Wish I Could Quit You

Amy posts her views on the movie Brokeback Mountain.  El Señor Guillermo Franz has given me his opinion on it as well.  Having just seen it this weekend with Grace, it's only appropriate that I shoot ahead with more of the same and keep on with the pop culture reviews (see the last post from last week).

What to say about this movie?  There's a lot actually, aside from the fact that I enjoyed it.  It really wasn't that unexpected, but there were a lot of emotions in this movie I don't think anyone expected at all.  In fact, what many people might think is a gratuitous exercise in a Hollywood conspiracy to embolden what is a left-wing open-minded fact is in actuality nothing more than a pure and tragic love story.  Even if this love story happens to concern to men, in the most masculine setting perhaps, there's a universal sense of loss and loneliness enveloping the film to make it unique.

Where to start?  Well, the direction given by Ang Lee is remarkable.  Mr. Lee, where some may have traveled into more crass realms, achieves a very intimate and powerful attachment between the two men outside of the physical interaction.  Sweeping shots when they are required against a Canadian sky (the movie was filmed in Alberta) tend to overwhelm each character in his or her own struggle.  His pacing isn't quite as deliberate as films past, but does bring focus on the common theme of repression almost every one of his pictures contains.  What does make his effort as strong as it is are the young actors who carry the story on their backs.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are the anchors to this film, I argue, however, that their performances would be all for naught had the women of this film been of lesser talent than Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams.  Demonstrating an awful amount of pain and restraint, they give what are two of the more notable performances amongst the actresses of the last year.  However much they achieve, it should not at all overshadow the fact that the leads in this film eliminate all sense of stereotype.  Perhaps the hat should be passed to Mr. Ledger at this point, as it is his performance the viewer experiences most directly. 

Problems with this picture?  For one, I don't feel I left the movie with a sense of awe.  Even though this is not that type of film, any really great film may leave you floored.  The pacing, as deliberate as necessary, really left a lot to be desired.  Two very minor complaints, but not enough to drive me batty.

Welcome to the Oscars.  Nominations should be announced tomorrow and I have a feeling this movie will not be ignored.

Overall score: 3.5 out of 5 stars.