Review of Brokeback Mountain (2005) by Lyn S — 31 Mar 2013

Oh boy, a tale of two halves if I ever saw one. After repeated viewings I finally feel equipped to review it. It's a tale of two halves for a very simple reason. Half of the scenes are perfection and half of the scenes are slow and dull. The beginning 40 minutes are really great, it was shaping up to be one of my favorites and then their job on Brokeback was finished and then it comes to a screeching halt. I know it's the whole point of the story for them to separate but even then the scenes that transpire are dull and lifeless not much happens and nothing ever got to me that they missed each other. Jack sure did, we know that, but we see more of Ennis and it never really felt like he cared, he seemed 'meh' about the whole thing(I think he was the 'less' gay one as was described by Pollux) . Whenever the two met up again was when the movie started to pick up and they started to get back to talking and then they'd split again. The love seemed forced too. I never really felt their connection, sometimes I did but for the most part I didn't. Ledger seemed overly muted and bored to be there. Gyllenhaal looked like he loved it and he felt real.

You see the problem? I'm not asking for a movie where it's just the couple being together the whole film, I'm asking, that I want shit to happen from scene to scene. It's 2 hours and 15 minutes, it's overlong and overwrought. I'm sure you could cut about 30 minutes, if not more. I'm not saying I dislike slow scenes, but it didn't fit. If it was a shorter film I'm sure it would have had a bigger impact (Lost in Translation?), I would have cried at the depressing as hell ending, but as it was, I didn't. Even though there were more scenes I liked then disliked I was still out of breath when the movie ended.

Otherwise, the film looked absolutely beautiful and the soundtrack accompanied the film nicely and it was a film made for perfection and I'd say, for the most part, Ang Lee did it. I've never really liked what Ang Lee does with his films (just because I don't have an emotional connection like he wants me to) but this one was shaping up to be a real classic of mine. Oh well...

Or maybe I'm missing the point...