Maybe I missed something...
I saw Brokeback Mountain this afternoon. And I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. I can't figure out whether I liked it or not. Here's what I thought.
Skin 4 stars out of 5. They weren't shy with this, but the audience was expecting more. Well, I was, at least. Also, that first sexual encounter in the tent? If that were a fanfic, it would be one of the worst fanfics ever written.
Pathos 4 stars out of 5. There was plenty of irony and plenty to feel emotional about, across a wide range. There were all different kinds of hurt. I didn't come near crying, but I'm sure some did.
Plot premise 5 stars out of 5. Everyone knows what a great idea a gay love story is.
Plot development 2 stars out of 5. It was totally unsatisfying, and the everlasting love thing matured in the space of about 4 minutes. It especially loses points for being uninterruptedly sad for last hour or so.
Characterization 3 stars out of 5. Jake Gyllenhaal came across perfectly, but Heath Ledger was missing a lot. The first ounce of sympathy I felt towards him didn't come until he found his bloody shirt in Jack's closet.
Character development 3 stars out of 5. The changes were few, and they were all for the worse.
Side plots/conflicts 4 stars out of 5. Those were the interesting parts.
Humor 1 star out of 5. This was not a funny movie.
Dialogue 2 stars out of 5. There was far too little, and what there was was unartful and boring. Not to mention predictable. And difficult to understand. But there was high percentage of quotable lines.
Taking advantage of opportunities given 0 stars out of 5. This setup had potential to become everyone's favorite movie, and that potential went nowhere.
Originality 2 stars out of 5. Points for trying a new angle, but it's too similar to what we're used to. The plot and dialogue were predictable.
Aesthetics 1 star out of 5. And that's only because of the good-looking cast. I never thought I'd be bored by mountain scenery. And don't get me started on the hideous styles of the time period.
Setting 3 stars out of 5. Rodeos, trailers, and tumbleweeds are just about my least favorite things ever, but I've seen them done worse and more gratuitously.
Love 3 stars out of 5. That word was carefully avoided in the movie. And so was the concept. This movie is the most unromantic romance I've ever seen. The love was planted in the blink of an eye, and we hardly saw it grow or fruit. The movie was about all the bits in between the good parts. Its redemption was Jake Gyllenhaal, who showed his fair share of tortured emotion.
Impact 3 stars out of 5. I don't know how on earth these people managed to do such a lousy job of connecting the story with the audience's lives, but that's what they did. People will remember this movie, but not as long as they should. It's sticking with me, but I think far too many people walked away unaffected.
Overall 3 stars out of 5. I was expecting much more from this movie. It would have been a beautiful love story full of conflict and emotion and some happiness, but it's like everything that could have made it so was taken out and there were only some shells and crumbs left. This movie showed all the strife and left us to imagine the few happy parts in between. And it ended sadly. The whole movie was an array of sadness. There was not a single happy scene. The only time I cracked a smile was at the line, "But our marriage… we could do it over the phone." But obviously this melancholy was made on purpose, because of the whole gritty, cowboys-don't-say-much atmosphere and attitude of the director. Many people liked that. But I didn't. A dearth of words has to be balanced with a plethora of actions, and it wasn't. This movie was about two men who had no personalities and who showed almost no emotion. This movie was too full of holes. Even for a quiet movie, there was too much-especially too much happiness-left out.
And now I really want to see it again.
Skin 4 stars out of 5. They weren't shy with this, but the audience was expecting more. Well, I was, at least. Also, that first sexual encounter in the tent? If that were a fanfic, it would be one of the worst fanfics ever written.
Pathos 4 stars out of 5. There was plenty of irony and plenty to feel emotional about, across a wide range. There were all different kinds of hurt. I didn't come near crying, but I'm sure some did.
Plot premise 5 stars out of 5. Everyone knows what a great idea a gay love story is.
Plot development 2 stars out of 5. It was totally unsatisfying, and the everlasting love thing matured in the space of about 4 minutes. It especially loses points for being uninterruptedly sad for last hour or so.
Characterization 3 stars out of 5. Jake Gyllenhaal came across perfectly, but Heath Ledger was missing a lot. The first ounce of sympathy I felt towards him didn't come until he found his bloody shirt in Jack's closet.
Character development 3 stars out of 5. The changes were few, and they were all for the worse.
Side plots/conflicts 4 stars out of 5. Those were the interesting parts.
Humor 1 star out of 5. This was not a funny movie.
Dialogue 2 stars out of 5. There was far too little, and what there was was unartful and boring. Not to mention predictable. And difficult to understand. But there was high percentage of quotable lines.
Taking advantage of opportunities given 0 stars out of 5. This setup had potential to become everyone's favorite movie, and that potential went nowhere.
Originality 2 stars out of 5. Points for trying a new angle, but it's too similar to what we're used to. The plot and dialogue were predictable.
Aesthetics 1 star out of 5. And that's only because of the good-looking cast. I never thought I'd be bored by mountain scenery. And don't get me started on the hideous styles of the time period.
Setting 3 stars out of 5. Rodeos, trailers, and tumbleweeds are just about my least favorite things ever, but I've seen them done worse and more gratuitously.
Love 3 stars out of 5. That word was carefully avoided in the movie. And so was the concept. This movie is the most unromantic romance I've ever seen. The love was planted in the blink of an eye, and we hardly saw it grow or fruit. The movie was about all the bits in between the good parts. Its redemption was Jake Gyllenhaal, who showed his fair share of tortured emotion.
Impact 3 stars out of 5. I don't know how on earth these people managed to do such a lousy job of connecting the story with the audience's lives, but that's what they did. People will remember this movie, but not as long as they should. It's sticking with me, but I think far too many people walked away unaffected.
Overall 3 stars out of 5. I was expecting much more from this movie. It would have been a beautiful love story full of conflict and emotion and some happiness, but it's like everything that could have made it so was taken out and there were only some shells and crumbs left. This movie showed all the strife and left us to imagine the few happy parts in between. And it ended sadly. The whole movie was an array of sadness. There was not a single happy scene. The only time I cracked a smile was at the line, "But our marriage… we could do it over the phone." But obviously this melancholy was made on purpose, because of the whole gritty, cowboys-don't-say-much atmosphere and attitude of the director. Many people liked that. But I didn't. A dearth of words has to be balanced with a plethora of actions, and it wasn't. This movie was about two men who had no personalities and who showed almost no emotion. This movie was too full of holes. Even for a quiet movie, there was too much-especially too much happiness-left out.
And now I really want to see it again.