Brokeback Mountain (and Black Cowboy Hat)
Originally posted at lilian_cho on Dec. 26th, 2005 here.
I like what Ang Lee did to Annie Proulx's story. It captures the story's simple, understated feel. The movie follows the storyline re: flashbacks and climax, thus earning a :-D from me.
And OMG that movie made cowboy hats look sexy! I want Jack Twist's black cowboy hat! X-D Guh, that Jake Gyllenhaal's eyebrows, sooty eyelashes and blue eyes. He didn't look this hot in The Day After Tomorrow... Heath Ledger...I was expecting the accent to make the movie incomprehensible to me, but it's not that bad (the accent's not as noticeable as the trailer). Of course it also helps that I've read the story before watching the movie.
ETA 12/27/05: It occurs to me that I don't evaluate movies the way normal movie-goers do :-P (I often pay attention to the art of the movie as opposed to the plot)
...and when the movie's an adaptation of a book, all hell breaks loose if I don't like the movie's (inevitable) deviation from the book. Which is better: the manga book or the anime movie? In most cases, the answer is the manga book. For some unfathomable reason, mediocre books often translate to great movies, but great books often translate to mediocre movies. IMO, the only great book-great movie is The Lord of the Rings.
In the case of Brokeback Mountain, I think the story is still better ;-), but only by a small margin. So I don't think it's a mediocre movie. *worship Ang Lee except for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon* It's not over-romanticized or too elevated or too censored...but I think the movie is rated R because of naked female chest during the het sex O.o As in, I've seen R-rated (het) movies that are WAY more explicit than this.
The movie does a good job in portraying the characters...it doesn't seek out to villainize or victimize anyone. You see their faults as they are. It's kinda hard to hate anyone in this movie. (Except maybe Jack's super!annoying father-in-law-from-hell :-P) By the same reasoning, it's also hard to blindly love anyone in this movie. Such as Ennis and Jack. I think Ennis del Mar's wife Alma is going to win an Oscar for her performance. You don't hate her. You don't pity her. You actually *gasp* admire her.
...and I can't explain why I don't love Ennis and Jack without spoiling it for you. Anyone has read/watched Brokeback Mountain?
ETA 01/10/06: BBM icon by crystalkirk.
ETA 12/29/05: "Yippi Ki-ay, Says the Blond Haired Cowboy" by FireElemental79 (H/D, NC-17). BlackCowboyHat!Draco!!!111! X-D
I like what Ang Lee did to Annie Proulx's story. It captures the story's simple, understated feel. The movie follows the storyline re: flashbacks and climax, thus earning a :-D from me.
And OMG that movie made cowboy hats look sexy! I want Jack Twist's black cowboy hat! X-D Guh, that Jake Gyllenhaal's eyebrows, sooty eyelashes and blue eyes. He didn't look this hot in The Day After Tomorrow... Heath Ledger...I was expecting the accent to make the movie incomprehensible to me, but it's not that bad (the accent's not as noticeable as the trailer). Of course it also helps that I've read the story before watching the movie.
ETA 12/27/05: It occurs to me that I don't evaluate movies the way normal movie-goers do :-P (I often pay attention to the art of the movie as opposed to the plot)
...and when the movie's an adaptation of a book, all hell breaks loose if I don't like the movie's (inevitable) deviation from the book. Which is better: the manga book or the anime movie? In most cases, the answer is the manga book. For some unfathomable reason, mediocre books often translate to great movies, but great books often translate to mediocre movies. IMO, the only great book-great movie is The Lord of the Rings.
In the case of Brokeback Mountain, I think the story is still better ;-), but only by a small margin. So I don't think it's a mediocre movie. *worship Ang Lee except for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon* It's not over-romanticized or too elevated or too censored...but I think the movie is rated R because of naked female chest during the het sex O.o As in, I've seen R-rated (het) movies that are WAY more explicit than this.
The movie does a good job in portraying the characters...it doesn't seek out to villainize or victimize anyone. You see their faults as they are. It's kinda hard to hate anyone in this movie. (Except maybe Jack's super!annoying father-in-law-from-hell :-P) By the same reasoning, it's also hard to blindly love anyone in this movie. Such as Ennis and Jack. I think Ennis del Mar's wife Alma is going to win an Oscar for her performance. You don't hate her. You don't pity her. You actually *gasp* admire her.
...and I can't explain why I don't love Ennis and Jack without spoiling it for you. Anyone has read/watched Brokeback Mountain?
ETA 01/10/06: BBM icon by crystalkirk.
ETA 12/29/05: "Yippi Ki-ay, Says the Blond Haired Cowboy" by FireElemental79 (H/D, NC-17). BlackCowboyHat!Draco!!!111! X-D