This whiskey priest, he burned his church to keep his girls alive

SPOILERS AHOY!

So I watched Brokeback Mountain yesterday. I'd been wanting to see it for a little, just because nobody would shut up about it.

But then I realized something. I'd been duped. The only reason this film is so acclaimed is because it's an overtly homosexual film. So what? I remember my friend telling me the only reason that everyone is praising it is because they don't want to say it's bad for fear of being labelled as a homophobe.

Well here goes: It wasn't that good. In fact, if it wasn't a gay film, I probably wouldn't remember it. For such an important film, it just lacked so many things that would have made it so much more powerful.

First of all, I couldn't understand a damn word Heath Ledger said. I understand he's supposed to be a roughneck deadbeat, but jebus, not understanding half the dialogue really killed the drama. And because I could barely understand a word he said, I really didn't care that much about his fate. Yeah, okay, he's a deadbeat, he's got nothing, and he's doing nothing to better his life. I get it, but I don't care. What are his motivations? He loves Jack, I get it. He's in denial about his sexuality, I get it. So what?
A lot of the drama seemed forced, and as a result, I found myself laughing at a lot of the scenes instead of getting drawn into the movie. The entire premise was ridiculous - so these two guys that aren't sure about their sexuality fall in love, and then for the next 20 years, can't get over each other. 20 years is a long fucking time, man. And considering that they only spent a few months making hot man-love to each other, it just doesn't seem feasable that they wouldn't get over themselves. If Ennis was so conflicted about his man-loving-fetish that Jack gave him, why would he continue to do that? Ang Lee simply didn't do enough to convince me that they were truly incapable of moving on.

The editing also left a lot to be desired. The film seemed to skip over years, but more importantly, there was a cutting of scenes between Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway that really just didn't make sense. He just met her and is plowing her in his truck, and then the next cut is of her having a baby. Apparently they're married, or maybe she just got knocked up? Explain the 9 months, explain how their relationship survived.. not just "hey, he banged some rodeo girl and now they're married." Say what?

And finally, what really took me out of the film was the whole awkwardness between Ledger and Gyllenhaal. During the first scene where they eventually get down to the Quest for the Cornhole, the kisses between them seem so forced and unrealistic, because it's so very obvious they're both heterosexual males - and suddenly, the scene isn't Ennis and Jack tongue loving, it's 'hey, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are sharing a kiss just as awkward as the one in American Pie 2 between Stiffler and Jim!'

All in all, there was some good parts, like the cinematography was really well done, but there was just too many offs about the film that I found, and in the end it just didn't give me enough of believeable drama to make it worth all the praise it got. So I tend to agree that everyone talks it up because it's a gay movie, but it's not like it's the first.

I mean, for the love of jebus, people said The Silence of the Lambs was a gay movie. If you want something to talk about, talk about that. Cause all those activists were wrong.

-Mark

(Note: I'm not squeamish about saying anal sex, I just find it more amusing personally to make up things.)
(The last song was The Decemberists - On The Bus Mall)