Review of Brokeback Mountain
November 7th 2006 01:26
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Directed: (Ang Lee)
Based on the short story by E. Annie Proulx
Screenplay by Larry Mcmurtry & Diana Ossana
Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams
You Don’t Chose Who You Love
Okay, call me behind the times if you like (indeed any of my more dedicated readers will tell you that I tend to be several years late – due principally to my lack of funds) but I’ve only just had time to watch the much celebrated Brokeback Mountain on DVD, and frankly I was impressed. So impressed I’m giving serious thought to adding it to my movie collection.
Directed by Ang Lee (who won the Oscar for best direction) this film tells the unusual (I mean seriously, when was the last big budget gay romance Hollywood produced?) and complicated love story of two cowboys (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) in the highly conservative 1960’s and 70’s.
With brilliant performances (all the leads where nominated for Oscars and frankly if Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Capote hadn’t been in contention Ledger should have got it for his sensitive yet utterly believable portrayal of a homophobic straight guy who finds himself in love with another man), a painfully accurate script and some of the most beautiful scenery in recent cinema, (I want to move to Wyoming!) it was no wonder the film was highly tipped for best picture (an honour taken by Crash, which admittedly I haven’t seen).
In all the film took only three Oscars (Direction, Music Score and Best Adapted Screenplay), which in my opinion just goes to prove that the Academy awards are severely limited in their scope and don’t really take the overall quality of films presented. You know what I mean – in some years all films nominated should win best picture and in others we watch as some vaguely watch able dreg takes the highest honour. Sorry to bitch but you know it's true.
A truly, truly beautiful (if ultimately tragic) story that deserves to be remembered in the annals of film history.
9/10
Directed: (Ang Lee)
Based on the short story by E. Annie Proulx
Screenplay by Larry Mcmurtry & Diana Ossana
Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams
You Don’t Chose Who You Love
Okay, call me behind the times if you like (indeed any of my more dedicated readers will tell you that I tend to be several years late – due principally to my lack of funds) but I’ve only just had time to watch the much celebrated Brokeback Mountain on DVD, and frankly I was impressed. So impressed I’m giving serious thought to adding it to my movie collection.
Directed by Ang Lee (who won the Oscar for best direction) this film tells the unusual (I mean seriously, when was the last big budget gay romance Hollywood produced?) and complicated love story of two cowboys (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) in the highly conservative 1960’s and 70’s.
With brilliant performances (all the leads where nominated for Oscars and frankly if Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Capote hadn’t been in contention Ledger should have got it for his sensitive yet utterly believable portrayal of a homophobic straight guy who finds himself in love with another man), a painfully accurate script and some of the most beautiful scenery in recent cinema, (I want to move to Wyoming!) it was no wonder the film was highly tipped for best picture (an honour taken by Crash, which admittedly I haven’t seen).
In all the film took only three Oscars (Direction, Music Score and Best Adapted Screenplay), which in my opinion just goes to prove that the Academy awards are severely limited in their scope and don’t really take the overall quality of films presented. You know what I mean – in some years all films nominated should win best picture and in others we watch as some vaguely watch able dreg takes the highest honour. Sorry to bitch but you know it's true.
A truly, truly beautiful (if ultimately tragic) story that deserves to be remembered in the annals of film history.
9/10
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Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
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Padsoc
The film was actually shot in Alberta, Canada.
I recently did a review of Brokeback Mountain too, which was totally thrashed when I posted it up on the IMDb.com message board... Check it out if you like!