Brokeback Mountain
Rated: R (sexuality, nudity, language and some violence)
Runtime: 134 minutes
Let me be the first to say that I love gay movies. I've watched Will and Grace, Sex and the City, Queer As Folk, and countless other TV shows, and even frequent the channel "Logo" that supplies me with many very sweet gay/lesbian films that make my heart swell with pride to be who I am. I always thought there was a reason that the colloquial term was "gay". Happy times indeed.
So, you couldn't imagine my happiness when I heard about a movie that was all about smokin' hot gay cowboys, even including a sex scene... in mainstream media! I was not only shocked out of my teenage mind, but I tried to find every available way that I could to get around my parents knowing I was going to go see it. Unfortunately, the time never came and it passed me by like an uncaring friend. A friend who I would later go on to see win many awards and even be nominated for the best picture of the year! By now you can only imagine my excitement to want to see such a riveting and touching film as this. The more I heard, the more I wanted that apple of knowledge, and to feast upon the wondrously gay phenomena that was sweeping America, nay, the Western world by storm!
Having seen it now, I realize just how much of a let down that truly was. All the hype, all the wonderful stories about how it's so touching and sweet. Bah, I say, it's probably one of the most depressing movies I've seen since Old Yeller.
Story
The story goes something like this: two cowboys get a job together working herding/protecting sheep one fine summer's day. As they spend time together, they grow closer and even fall in love. To this end, the movie is very touching and warmed my heart.
After the summer's job is over and the boys are left to go back to the lives they left behind (one even going to get married), they find it hard to stand being without one another as they try to conform to an oppressive, stereotypically red-necked country that expects them to act, smell, look, and feel completely heterosexual, else bad things happen.
The story is flat out sad. The two men end up fighting between one another more and more and the end of the movie, however true to it's time it might be, had me in tears and wishing that I could take back the two hours of my life I just spent watching something so horrifically depressing.
Characters
The characters are your standard lot. Think down-home southerners and you've got about the right idea for each and every one of them. Nobody really stood out to me, and I found myself more and more just thinking that these characters were just more cardboard cutouts rather than people.
The two main characters, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar even seemed shallow, despite the turmoil that you know they must have been going through. I'm not sure whether it was that they just were able to hide their emotions that well, or if the actors simply needed to act more... ya know... distraught. Although, points for Keith Ledger (RIP) for doing such a fabulous job of being angry.
Cinematography
Well... What can I say. It's beautiful, for the most part. Each and every scene from the camera gives you a feeling of attachment and truly knowing how beautiful things can be. However, because the characters are so flat and the story is so... damned sad, it's not done justice. While each shot establishes what you know some of the characters are feeling, and it gives you wonderful poses of each of the people and how they react to different changes within their lives, it all ends up just being a whole mess of "meh" in the end.
Music
I figured since it won awards for soundtrack and the like I might as well put this in...
The music was your standard country bits. Slide guitar, banjo, thumping bass... you know the usual. However, I can't seem to put my finger on how this was so riveting to people, but I'm sure that's just my dislike for country. There is one thing that I feel I need to mention, however, and that's the transition score from each sad scene to the next; it's the same damned chord. No joke. And while that chord is sad and somber and fits incredibly into the movie, I felt my jaw begin to drop as I noticed that each and every scene had this same little slow chord that sounds like it belongs in a sitcom somewhere.
Wrap Up
All things considered, I suppose that if you like depressing cinema with a heart-wrenching message of peace and tolerance versus hate and prejudice, this might be the movie for you. I, myself, will stick to something funnier and happier like... Adam & Steve.
Again, my biggest quip with Brokeback Mountain is that it gives you a glimmer of hopeful happiness in the beginning and then rides the train to depressing-ville after about the first half-an-hour. True as though it might be, it's still a helluva way to end a movie. Remember that if you watch it, it's best to bring tissues or someone to hug, because there is no happy ending when you go riding with these cowboys.
~Sui
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Movie Reviews upcoming:
Cube
Cube 2: Hypercube
The Lazarus Project
Pan's Labyrinth
Alice in Wonderland (New Movie)
and possibly more!
Game Reviews coming eventually:
Dragon Age Origins
Final Fantasy X
Okami
and many MANY more.
Rated: R (sexuality, nudity, language and some violence)
Runtime: 134 minutes
Let me be the first to say that I love gay movies. I've watched Will and Grace, Sex and the City, Queer As Folk, and countless other TV shows, and even frequent the channel "Logo" that supplies me with many very sweet gay/lesbian films that make my heart swell with pride to be who I am. I always thought there was a reason that the colloquial term was "gay". Happy times indeed.
So, you couldn't imagine my happiness when I heard about a movie that was all about smokin' hot gay cowboys, even including a sex scene... in mainstream media! I was not only shocked out of my teenage mind, but I tried to find every available way that I could to get around my parents knowing I was going to go see it. Unfortunately, the time never came and it passed me by like an uncaring friend. A friend who I would later go on to see win many awards and even be nominated for the best picture of the year! By now you can only imagine my excitement to want to see such a riveting and touching film as this. The more I heard, the more I wanted that apple of knowledge, and to feast upon the wondrously gay phenomena that was sweeping America, nay, the Western world by storm!
Having seen it now, I realize just how much of a let down that truly was. All the hype, all the wonderful stories about how it's so touching and sweet. Bah, I say, it's probably one of the most depressing movies I've seen since Old Yeller.
Story
The story goes something like this: two cowboys get a job together working herding/protecting sheep one fine summer's day. As they spend time together, they grow closer and even fall in love. To this end, the movie is very touching and warmed my heart.
After the summer's job is over and the boys are left to go back to the lives they left behind (one even going to get married), they find it hard to stand being without one another as they try to conform to an oppressive, stereotypically red-necked country that expects them to act, smell, look, and feel completely heterosexual, else bad things happen.
The story is flat out sad. The two men end up fighting between one another more and more and the end of the movie, however true to it's time it might be, had me in tears and wishing that I could take back the two hours of my life I just spent watching something so horrifically depressing.
Characters
The characters are your standard lot. Think down-home southerners and you've got about the right idea for each and every one of them. Nobody really stood out to me, and I found myself more and more just thinking that these characters were just more cardboard cutouts rather than people.
The two main characters, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar even seemed shallow, despite the turmoil that you know they must have been going through. I'm not sure whether it was that they just were able to hide their emotions that well, or if the actors simply needed to act more... ya know... distraught. Although, points for Keith Ledger (RIP) for doing such a fabulous job of being angry.
Cinematography
Well... What can I say. It's beautiful, for the most part. Each and every scene from the camera gives you a feeling of attachment and truly knowing how beautiful things can be. However, because the characters are so flat and the story is so... damned sad, it's not done justice. While each shot establishes what you know some of the characters are feeling, and it gives you wonderful poses of each of the people and how they react to different changes within their lives, it all ends up just being a whole mess of "meh" in the end.
Music
I figured since it won awards for soundtrack and the like I might as well put this in...
The music was your standard country bits. Slide guitar, banjo, thumping bass... you know the usual. However, I can't seem to put my finger on how this was so riveting to people, but I'm sure that's just my dislike for country. There is one thing that I feel I need to mention, however, and that's the transition score from each sad scene to the next; it's the same damned chord. No joke. And while that chord is sad and somber and fits incredibly into the movie, I felt my jaw begin to drop as I noticed that each and every scene had this same little slow chord that sounds like it belongs in a sitcom somewhere.
Wrap Up
All things considered, I suppose that if you like depressing cinema with a heart-wrenching message of peace and tolerance versus hate and prejudice, this might be the movie for you. I, myself, will stick to something funnier and happier like... Adam & Steve.
Again, my biggest quip with Brokeback Mountain is that it gives you a glimmer of hopeful happiness in the beginning and then rides the train to depressing-ville after about the first half-an-hour. True as though it might be, it's still a helluva way to end a movie. Remember that if you watch it, it's best to bring tissues or someone to hug, because there is no happy ending when you go riding with these cowboys.
~Sui
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Movie Reviews upcoming:
Cube
Cube 2: Hypercube
The Lazarus Project
Pan's Labyrinth
Alice in Wonderland (New Movie)
and possibly more!
Game Reviews coming eventually:
Dragon Age Origins
Final Fantasy X
Okami
and many MANY more.
