Rating of
2.5/4
Slow, with nice cinematography
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/02/08
"Jack Twist" (Jake Gyllenhaal) and "Ennis Del Mar" (Heath Ledger) are two cowboys in the 1960's who love each other. However, they must keep their relationship a secret because of the times.
They live the lives generally accepted. Both marry and have children. Yet, they can't live without one another. So, over the years, they get together on "Brokeback Mountain," where they first met on work as sheep herders.
The first thing I suggest is that you get the wide-screen version of the film. Even though the cinematography is fantastic in full-screen format, it would be even better in wide-screen. The scenery on "Brokeback Mountian" is beautiful, with amazing shots of the mountains. There are other great camera angles in this movie. If you ask me, this is one of the best shot movies I've seen in a long time.
One thing that you will notice is that the movie moves slowly. In some of the film, it works. While in other scenes, the movie is just slow and boring.
One thing I didn't realize, until about 80 minutes into the film, was when this movie was set. I just didn't feel like I was watching the 1960's to 1970's at all. I also didn't feel as if they did a good job to "age" Gyllenhaal and Ledger. The only way I could tell that any time passed was when they used older actors to play "Jack's" children.
The music is pretty good. There are some classic tunes, and some instrumentals. Nothing really memorable though. You won't even remember the songs played over the closing credits.
There are some good performances. Ledger and Gyllenhaal worked well, but not fantastic, on screen. They had some fair chemistry, but it wasn't great. As for the supporting cast, they didn't really do much for the story. I felt like the supporting cast was not really developed well compared to "Jack" and "Ennis", and they weren't used well to advance the plot. I can't say that any performance stood out more than others, but Heath and Gyllenhaal are the best performances in the entire cast.
If you are looking for action, then pass over this one. Except for a few short fist fights, there is little action. This, in fact, is mostly a drama. There is some real dramatic moments in fact. One of the most dramatic, and easily the most unexpected moment in the entire film, is a shocking plot twist that is not touched upon in any of the trailers for the movie. You will not expect it, and it helps make a dramatic turn in the film.
Also, because of the subject matter, this might not be suitable for a younger audience. In fact, this movie is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America, and is probably suited better for people in their late teens and adults. The subject is dealt with nicely though, and doesn't present it in a vulgar matter.
If you ask me, I would not put this on your "Must See" List. I probably would have to put this one fairly low on your "To See" List.
