(This is a BBM review from The Newpaper that i read a few days ago which i found kinda bland and doesn't do enough justice for BBM,...
The Newpaper 15 February 2006
More carnal than caring
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
STARRING: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
RATING: ***1/2
The skinny: Expanded from the Annie Proulx short story, ranch hands Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) begin a doomed love affair in 1963 while herding sheep on Wyoming's Brokeback Mountain.
Since cowboys ain't supposed to be queer, the conflicted men trot down separate paths.
But for the next 20 years, they dance around their secret forbidden passion even as they enter loveless marriages, raise kids and stake out identities in opposite parts of the West.
The review: Yes, it's the gay cowboy movie. Get over it. Put those cowpoke jokes aside, pardner, and you'll find it's less unconventional than, say, King Kong's love story between a woman and an ape.
It's by far the most uncompromising, unapologetic, serious homosexual film ever made for a wide release by a major Hollywood studio with big-name stars.
Shot against picture-postcard scenery, the persistent ache we feel while watching the 134-minute Oscar front runner doesn't just come from our behinds but from witnessing the tragedy of thwarted desire and protracted longing in an intolerant, macho society.
It's hard to imagine alpha male Ledger coupling with indie darling Gyllenhaal, but both carry it off with skill and sensitivity.
Still, Ledger's understated portrayal of a repressed Marlboro Man is a little overrated, in my book - especially when you can't understand a word the lock-jawed and mumbly actor's saying.
Gyllenhaal puts in a showier performance, with emotions that are much more accessible and sympathetic.
Look out for Michelle Williams as Ennis' long-suffering, sad-eyed wife. The Best Supporting Actress nominee, and Ledger's real-life squeeze, has two showcase scenes which make us forget she was ever in Dawson's Creek.
However, the men's relationship comes across as more carnal than caring. So, although Brokeback is quite sad and sobering, it never quite lives up to its immense hype.
Still, despite its plodding pacing, one must applaud Ang Lee (The Wedding Banquet, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) for creating a masterclass in subtle directing and wrangling up just enough melodrama to keep us entranced.
And, for that, we forgive him for Hulk.
The one scene that justifies the ticket price: The rough sex scene and man-on-man make-out sessions will leave you hot and bothered.
The one scene that will eject you from your seat: Sheep-herding, sheep-herding and more sheep-herding in the first 15 minutes.
Best quote: 'Nothing could be done about it. And if you can't fix it, you've got to stand it.'
Moral of the story: Sometimes, you just have to keep it in the closet.
FAST FACTS:
Heath Ledger nearly broke Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene where they grab and slam each other against the wall.
The film called for about 2,500 sheep, but only 700 were on-set - 15 of the 75 visual effects shots created were CGI. Director Ang Lee struggled continually with the animals during the shoot. He tried all day to get the sheep to drink from a stream, but they wouldn't oblige, so he gave up on the shot.
Afraid that Anne Hathaway's previous teenybopper films, The Princess Diaries and Ella Enchanted, would work against her during auditions, the casting director introduced her to Ang, who hadn't heard of her before, as a New York Broadway actress.
