"Brokeback Mountain" is a movie about gay cowboys. Okay, that's oversimplifying it to a great degree, but the fact is that if you're a homophobe who believes that gay people are the root of all evil, then this movie isn't for you. "Brokeback Mountain" is a groundbreaking movie, and it's groundbreaking for reasons that are likely to ruffle the feathers of ultra-conservatives and religious extremists.
In order to put this review in perspective, allow me to explain where I stand politically, especially as it relates to gay issues. I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I'm a registered voter, but I'm registered as a Non-Party Affiliate. When it comes to matters of defense, crime, and the economy, I'm mostly conservative. When it comes to social issues, I'm mostly liberal. I think gay people are entitled to all the rights afforded to all Americans, including the right to marry. That's right, I said it, I'm for gay marriage. That being said, I'm uncomfortable with seeing guys kiss each other. As for seeing guys have sex with each other, forget it. Hell no, that's definitely something I never wanna see. Don't get me wrong, seeing women kiss and have sex with each other is just fine. Hell, I encourage it! Seeing two guys go at it, though... not my thing. Some might define that as homophobia, and I suppose that might be true, but if that's the case, I'm a much lower degree of homophobe than most guys out there.
I honestly don't understand the blind hatred of gay people that so many guys have. I guess a lot of it has to do with skewered religious beliefs, or how one believes it affects his own masculinity. I think some straight guys feel threatened by gay people, as though it puts their own masculinity in jeopardy, so they wanna just destroy all of them. It's sad, and gay people end up suffering the consequences. As though they don't have enough to deal with, having ultra-conservatives as their elected officials who vigorously see to it that gay people are swept under the rug, or "cured" through Christianity.
Living in Miami, homosexuality is pretty out in the open (which doesn't mean that gay people are making out everywhere you look), and I'm fine with that. It's one of the few things about this city that I like. Unfortunately, it's not like that everywhere. Some of you may remember in 1998 when Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten to death because he was gay. As it so happens, "Brokeback Mountain" is also set in Wyoming.
When "Brokeback Mountain" was released here in Miami, I had no intention of seeing it. The story didn't interest me, but more than anything else, I didn't wanna see two guys kissing and having sex. After a few weeks, however, critics were singing high praises, the movie started winning awards, and a couple of people I know watched it and loved it. So here I am, writing the review for the movie after having just seen it, and I gotta tellya, the movie is really damn good. Yes, there's man-on-man kissing, and even man-on-man sex (mercifully, the sex scene isn't graphic at all), but I wasn't as repelled by it as I thought I would be.
"Brokeback Mountain" was directed by Ang Lee, who also directed "Hulk," and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." He's an incredibly talented filmmaker, and quite versatile. The script was written by Larry McMurtry (he writes a lot of western novels, but he also wrote "Terms of Endearment" and "The Last Picture Show") & Diana Ossana (debut feature film screenplay), and it was based on the short story by Annie Proulx.
This movie would fall apart if the acting by the two male leads wasn't believable. I knew Heath Ledger could act, after having seen him in "Monster's Ball," "A Knight's Tale," "The Patriot," and "10 Things I Hate About You." Jake Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, I wasn't sure of. I wasn't a big fan of his. I've seen him in "The Day After Tomorrow," "The Good Girl," and "Donnie Darko," but he didn't impress me. All of his characters seemed the same to me. That changed when I saw him in "Jarhead," he was great in that movie. Now with "Brokeback Mountain," he's earned my respect. I just don't wanna see him play quirky, aloof characters anymore. Together, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal have excellent chemistry, and I was drawn into their relationship.
There are two women in the movie who play pivotal roles in the lives of the two main characters, and they're played by Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. They're both nice enough to go topless in the film, so there's something in the movie for straight guys, too. As for the acting, I was surprised with Michelle Williams. I guess I have nothing against her, but she was in the horrible TV series "Dawson's Creek," which is enough to make me have my doubts. She's really good in the movie, though. Anne Hathaway is also very good. After this movie and "Havoc" (another movie where she gets naked), I think it's safe to say that she won't be doing Disney movies anymore.
Obviously, "Brokeback Mountain" isn't for everybody, especially homophobic nazis, religious nuts, and ultra-conservatives (though they're often the same people). It's an excellent movie with great acting, writing, and directing. Who'da thunk it? A movie about the forbidden love between two gay cowboys, and I'm here telling you that even straight guys like me can enjoy it, and not just because you see a couple of nice tits (though it doesn't hurt).
Scale of 1-10: 9