Film Reviews Thread
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Name of Film: Three Burials (2006, Tommy Lee Jones)
a.k.a The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
The story of Three Burials centres around Pete Perkins, a world-weary cowboy, who befriends an illegal immigrant - the titular Melquiades Estrada. When Melquiades is murdered, and no justice is dealt out, Pete takes it upon himself to mete it out himself; whilst at the same time keeping a promise he made to Melquiades.
What results is something truly special. A heartfelt modern western about growing into your age, and keeping your promises. Tommy Lee Jones and Barry Pepper - playing Pete and Melquiades' murderer Mike Norton respectively - are simply sublime; Pepper in particular does a fanastic job in ensuring that you feel absolutely no sympathy for Mike. Jones is brilliant too, downplaying to the extreme to produce a fantastically raw character. The supporting cast are fabulous too, from Julio Cedillo's titual character to Dwight Yoakam's abrasive chief of police, all are well and convincingly played.
The next thing of note is the cinematography; Chris Menges' camera taking in the sweeping landscapes of the deserts of Mexico and Texas beautifully. There's also a fantastic quality to the shots, amplifying the yellow and dulling down the rest of the colours, making it almost feel like you're standing in the desert with Mike and Pete.
The script is fantastic too; moving, but with some really quite funny moments thrown in, and it works beautifully. In particular, the exchanges between Pete and Melquiades - when he's not being buried, of course - are fantastic, which is quite something considering they're all in Spanish. From Pete taking Mel out on the town, to Mel insisting Pete keep one of the horses he's just acquired, all of them are scripted in such a sincere manner that it's impossible not to have a smile that takes in your ears.
I honestly couldn't reccomend this film more. It's a funny, affecting tale that also delivers an important message about friendship and growing up, no matter what your age. It's a visual spectacle, and fantastically played by all parties. If you can find it, go see it!
Rating: 9
a.k.a The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
The story of Three Burials centres around Pete Perkins, a world-weary cowboy, who befriends an illegal immigrant - the titular Melquiades Estrada. When Melquiades is murdered, and no justice is dealt out, Pete takes it upon himself to mete it out himself; whilst at the same time keeping a promise he made to Melquiades.
What results is something truly special. A heartfelt modern western about growing into your age, and keeping your promises. Tommy Lee Jones and Barry Pepper - playing Pete and Melquiades' murderer Mike Norton respectively - are simply sublime; Pepper in particular does a fanastic job in ensuring that you feel absolutely no sympathy for Mike. Jones is brilliant too, downplaying to the extreme to produce a fantastically raw character. The supporting cast are fabulous too, from Julio Cedillo's titual character to Dwight Yoakam's abrasive chief of police, all are well and convincingly played.
The next thing of note is the cinematography; Chris Menges' camera taking in the sweeping landscapes of the deserts of Mexico and Texas beautifully. There's also a fantastic quality to the shots, amplifying the yellow and dulling down the rest of the colours, making it almost feel like you're standing in the desert with Mike and Pete.
The script is fantastic too; moving, but with some really quite funny moments thrown in, and it works beautifully. In particular, the exchanges between Pete and Melquiades - when he's not being buried, of course - are fantastic, which is quite something considering they're all in Spanish. From Pete taking Mel out on the town, to Mel insisting Pete keep one of the horses he's just acquired, all of them are scripted in such a sincere manner that it's impossible not to have a smile that takes in your ears.
I honestly couldn't reccomend this film more. It's a funny, affecting tale that also delivers an important message about friendship and growing up, no matter what your age. It's a visual spectacle, and fantastically played by all parties. If you can find it, go see it!
Rating: 9
Name of the Film: Swimming With Sharks (1994) - Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Benico Del Toro
Writer/Dir. - George Haung
"Do me a favour. Shut up, listen and learn" bellows Buddy (Spacey) to novice Guy (Whaley) on his first day; and it doesn't get much better for him. Buddy Ackerman is a movie producing giant, people on his staff go on to be important people in the industry, such as his current assistant Rex (Del Toro) who is moving on to be the vice-president of a significant production company.
Once 'Day One' becomes 'Week One' and 'Year One', as informed by sparse captions, we see Guy suffering Buddy's incessant patronism and insults, memorably "You think you matter to me? My bath matt is worth more to me than you do".
Interspliced with the overall story is the consequence of it. We are introduced to Guy first at a meal with his old college friends, where he makes an impression of being the mature intellectual of the group, and soon he is on the phone to an unknown woman, Dawn Lockhard (Michelle Forbes), and then to Buddy, who gives an immediately frosty first impression even over the phone.
Soon we find Buddy barking orders down his phone at home and Guy enters initiating a destinctly social and business 'meeting'. This grafic vengence is the only part, bar language, to justify a 15 certificate.
Spacey shines here as he often does but it is Whaley who the audience is behind. Buddy is such a lamentable character the audience cannot help but understand the brutality of his revenge, even if they don't find it pleasant. The ending of the piece is somewhat surprising, and Huang uses the tension built up through the film to provide a gripping emotional climax.
At times the cast, small enough to fit into Dawn's emotionally significant parking space, is somewhat stereotypical in comparison to the overbearing presence of Spacey and it is difficult to understand how such a powerful man could be overcome by a lowely college graduate, though the two's interaction in the closing scene demonstrate how Buddy still rules the roost.
A believable portrayal of the pain and sacrifice necessary to make it in the bigtime.
Rating out of 10: 8
Writer/Dir. - George Haung
"Do me a favour. Shut up, listen and learn" bellows Buddy (Spacey) to novice Guy (Whaley) on his first day; and it doesn't get much better for him. Buddy Ackerman is a movie producing giant, people on his staff go on to be important people in the industry, such as his current assistant Rex (Del Toro) who is moving on to be the vice-president of a significant production company.
Once 'Day One' becomes 'Week One' and 'Year One', as informed by sparse captions, we see Guy suffering Buddy's incessant patronism and insults, memorably "You think you matter to me? My bath matt is worth more to me than you do".
Interspliced with the overall story is the consequence of it. We are introduced to Guy first at a meal with his old college friends, where he makes an impression of being the mature intellectual of the group, and soon he is on the phone to an unknown woman, Dawn Lockhard (Michelle Forbes), and then to Buddy, who gives an immediately frosty first impression even over the phone.
Soon we find Buddy barking orders down his phone at home and Guy enters initiating a destinctly social and business 'meeting'. This grafic vengence is the only part, bar language, to justify a 15 certificate.
Spacey shines here as he often does but it is Whaley who the audience is behind. Buddy is such a lamentable character the audience cannot help but understand the brutality of his revenge, even if they don't find it pleasant. The ending of the piece is somewhat surprising, and Huang uses the tension built up through the film to provide a gripping emotional climax.
At times the cast, small enough to fit into Dawn's emotionally significant parking space, is somewhat stereotypical in comparison to the overbearing presence of Spacey and it is difficult to understand how such a powerful man could be overcome by a lowely college graduate, though the two's interaction in the closing scene demonstrate how Buddy still rules the roost.
A believable portrayal of the pain and sacrifice necessary to make it in the bigtime.
Rating out of 10: 8
Name of the Film:Spirited away
Another ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki
What you liked about the film:
Once again the music was spot on, the animation was great again. The main character, you really do feel for her and also the other characters to an extent. Some parts might be considered scary if your young.
What you disliked about the film:
The ending, it wasnt really that satisfying, a bit more information about the world would have been nice, a talking giant baby:wtf?:
Rating out of 10: 7 not as good as princess mononoke i thought but still a really good film
Another ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki
What you liked about the film:
Once again the music was spot on, the animation was great again. The main character, you really do feel for her and also the other characters to an extent. Some parts might be considered scary if your young.
What you disliked about the film:
The ending, it wasnt really that satisfying, a bit more information about the world would have been nice, a talking giant baby:wtf?:
Rating out of 10: 7 not as good as princess mononoke i thought but still a really good film
Name of the Film:Snakes on a plane!
a deep look at the similarities between the symbolism of snakes and human flight. Nah course not.
What you liked about the film:
It was so funny and stupid. The way people met their ends thanks to the snakes. People screaming and just the general stupidity of it
What you disliked about the film:
Was a bit too serious at some points, where they were just talking and not being bitten by snakes
Rating out of 10: 6 as long as you dont take it seroiusly its very entertaining.
a deep look at the similarities between the symbolism of snakes and human flight. Nah course not.
What you liked about the film:
It was so funny and stupid. The way people met their ends thanks to the snakes.
Spoiler
What you disliked about the film:
Was a bit too serious at some points, where they were just talking and not being bitten by snakes
Rating out of 10: 6 as long as you dont take it seroiusly its very entertaining.
Film: Night of the Living Dead - The original of course...
What I liked:
Moody, grainy black and white approach adding to the chillingness.
The creation of the Zombie to great effect.
The tension
The quietness of it, very eerie
Excellent tense acting, and superb imagination
The superb ending, ha... Ya dead pal...
The tension building up between blokes who fight over who's in charge
The bodies
The explosion
The film in general
Disliked:
He kills the first zombies and it looks a bit slow and dodgy, but hardly a major flaw.
Not much else really, it's a classic. Not that scary though, just tense.
Rating out of 10: 8-9
That's it
What I liked:
Moody, grainy black and white approach adding to the chillingness.
The creation of the Zombie to great effect.
The tension
The quietness of it, very eerie
Excellent tense acting, and superb imagination
The superb ending, ha... Ya dead pal...
The tension building up between blokes who fight over who's in charge
The bodies
The explosion
The film in general
Disliked:
He kills the first zombies and it looks a bit slow and dodgy, but hardly a major flaw.
Not much else really, it's a classic. Not that scary though, just tense.
Rating out of 10: 8-9
That's it
Pre-release special! (A.K.A watched an imported DVD of it)
Name of Film: Hoodwinked (Cory and Todd Edwards, 2006)
Hoodwinked is the first computer animated offering from the Weinstein Company; telling a slightly twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, that has a distinctly adult ring to it. The story begins at it's end, and we find out that the forest's police are investigating a domestic disturbance at Granny's house, involving her granddaughter Red, a big bad wolf, and an apparently crazed woodsman, and as the investigation deepens, it turns out that all of them could be linked to the theft of 'Secret Recipes' from the various cake shops that populate the forest.
The first thing that is truly striking is the quality of the animation. Or the lack thereof. This is perhaps the worst looking computer animation to date, making even Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius look fantastic. Whilst the characters are well animated, there's a certain...poor...quality to the whole thing. I won't go on, as it's almost certainly due to the relative lack of budget. What it does do right is give the whole thing quite a nice feel, almost like old school 2D animation in it's...I hesitate to use the word 'charm' but it'll do, for lack of a better one.
And 'charming' it is, from the take on the Red Riding Hood legend, to the great voice-acting. Anne Hathaway and Glenn Close are fantastic as Red and Granny respectively, and Patrick Warburton (who does Joe in Family Guy) lends a fantastic edge to the Wolf. Also of note is David Ogden Stiers, who plays the Detective Frog heading up the investigation, reminiscent of slightly more watery John Cleese, it brings a great quality to the character; and it's truly something to be heard to be believed. The rest of the cast is decent without being great, and there's a hidden surprise in it that would give away the story if I cited it here.
The story is told in a sort of montage of sub-stories, as Nicky Flippers (the aforementioned Detective Frog) delves deeper into what actually cause the domestic disturbance, and most of them are interestingly done, and consistently funny, with the Wolf's tale being particularly inspired. This slightly tricky style of story-telling is pulled off rather well, and leads to a brilliantly entertaining climax - which involves the year's second (or first, depending on how you look at it) caffeinated squirrel, and this one is arguably infinitely better than Over the Hedge's Hammy. It's main vein of humour is incredibly adult orientated too - and this could be construed as a bad thing if I was reviewing this with kids in mind. Since I'm not, I have to say it's one of the movie's best qualities, and apart from one of the sub-stories, it had me laughing pretty much consistently, from it's film spoofs, to it's slightly high-level wise-cracks, it's all fantastic.
Overall, Hoodwinked is a fairly solid outing, particularly for a directorial debut from the two brothers helming it. It's mostly sharply written, and the storyline is really quite good. And if you can get over the lacking animation quality, there's a lot to enjoy about this, although inevitably you'll probably forget it almost as soon as it's finished. A short, sharp fix of animated comedy, definitely worth a look if nothing better is on!
Rating out of 10: 6
Name of Film: Hoodwinked (Cory and Todd Edwards, 2006)
Hoodwinked is the first computer animated offering from the Weinstein Company; telling a slightly twisted take on the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale, that has a distinctly adult ring to it. The story begins at it's end, and we find out that the forest's police are investigating a domestic disturbance at Granny's house, involving her granddaughter Red, a big bad wolf, and an apparently crazed woodsman, and as the investigation deepens, it turns out that all of them could be linked to the theft of 'Secret Recipes' from the various cake shops that populate the forest.
The first thing that is truly striking is the quality of the animation. Or the lack thereof. This is perhaps the worst looking computer animation to date, making even Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius look fantastic. Whilst the characters are well animated, there's a certain...poor...quality to the whole thing. I won't go on, as it's almost certainly due to the relative lack of budget. What it does do right is give the whole thing quite a nice feel, almost like old school 2D animation in it's...I hesitate to use the word 'charm' but it'll do, for lack of a better one.
And 'charming' it is, from the take on the Red Riding Hood legend, to the great voice-acting. Anne Hathaway and Glenn Close are fantastic as Red and Granny respectively, and Patrick Warburton (who does Joe in Family Guy) lends a fantastic edge to the Wolf. Also of note is David Ogden Stiers, who plays the Detective Frog heading up the investigation, reminiscent of slightly more watery John Cleese, it brings a great quality to the character; and it's truly something to be heard to be believed. The rest of the cast is decent without being great, and there's a hidden surprise in it that would give away the story if I cited it here.
The story is told in a sort of montage of sub-stories, as Nicky Flippers (the aforementioned Detective Frog) delves deeper into what actually cause the domestic disturbance, and most of them are interestingly done, and consistently funny, with the Wolf's tale being particularly inspired. This slightly tricky style of story-telling is pulled off rather well, and leads to a brilliantly entertaining climax - which involves the year's second (or first, depending on how you look at it) caffeinated squirrel, and this one is arguably infinitely better than Over the Hedge's Hammy. It's main vein of humour is incredibly adult orientated too - and this could be construed as a bad thing if I was reviewing this with kids in mind. Since I'm not, I have to say it's one of the movie's best qualities, and apart from one of the sub-stories, it had me laughing pretty much consistently, from it's film spoofs, to it's slightly high-level wise-cracks, it's all fantastic.
Overall, Hoodwinked is a fairly solid outing, particularly for a directorial debut from the two brothers helming it. It's mostly sharply written, and the storyline is really quite good. And if you can get over the lacking animation quality, there's a lot to enjoy about this, although inevitably you'll probably forget it almost as soon as it's finished. A short, sharp fix of animated comedy, definitely worth a look if nothing better is on!
Rating out of 10: 6
Film: Clay Pigeons
Liked:
Funny
Tense
Pretty okay acting
Originality
Weird stuff
Vince Vaughn is like great in it
And it's just loads of popcorn munching fun
There's some fit birds in it
Dislike:
It's a bit silly
It sorta doesn't know what kind of film it is, even tries to delve into horror without success
It's got a crap ending, wish he'd gone out in a blaze of glory or something
Rating:
6/10
Yeah, that's about right...
Liked:
Funny
Tense
Pretty okay acting
Originality
Weird stuff
Vince Vaughn is like great in it
And it's just loads of popcorn munching fun
There's some fit birds in it
Dislike:
It's a bit silly
It sorta doesn't know what kind of film it is, even tries to delve into horror without success
It's got a crap ending, wish he'd gone out in a blaze of glory or something
Rating:
6/10
Yeah, that's about right...
Film: Audition
Liked: I liked the fact that it was a well written, well acted, feasible horror film. Films like this are far more disturbing than the likes of The Hills Have Eyes or Friday 13th because it could actually happen. I enjoyed the build up to the very intense climax of the film - the way it starts off mild with only flickers of unsettling situations before descending into utter madness and torture. The film leaves a lot of time for character development too so you actually care what happens to the main character.
Dislike: Wasn't quite as violent and shocking as I had hoped for.
Rating:
8/10
Liked: I liked the fact that it was a well written, well acted, feasible horror film. Films like this are far more disturbing than the likes of The Hills Have Eyes or Friday 13th because it could actually happen. I enjoyed the build up to the very intense climax of the film - the way it starts off mild with only flickers of unsettling situations before descending into utter madness and torture. The film leaves a lot of time for character development too so you actually care what happens to the main character.
Dislike: Wasn't quite as violent and shocking as I had hoped for.
Rating:
8/10
Brokeback Mountain
http://mysticdollarredemption.blogspot.com/2006/02/my-review-of-brokeback-mountain_23.html
The year is 1963, and Ennis Del Mar (played by Heath Ledger), a ranch hand, and Jack Twist (the ever delectable Jake Gyllenhaal), a rodeo cowboy, meet on Brokeback Mountain in a summer job hoarding sheep. It’s the classic chalk and cheese story. Ennis struggles to mumble his own name, and Jack, the charismatic charmer, lives to communicate. Over time a slow, steady bond forms, which leads suddenly and surprisingly into a physical relationship. After Brokeback they leave to follow their own lives – Ennis marries a sweet, shy girl, Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack marries into money through rodeo princess Lureen (Anne Hathaway), but the memory of Brokeback Mountain is one that engulfs the men’s lives for the next 20 years.
The opening half hour, in which Ennis and Jack are introduced to the audience as well a each other, is shot in a beautiful way that, whilst paying homage to the classic Westerns (with the fusions of the skylines and the grass, as well as the classic close ups of the eyes), has a dreamlike state of its own that bears closer resemblance of the 90s Art flicks. The colours and images presented to us by the cinematographer and utterly stunning, and the music, though used sparsely, is wonderful. It is impossible not to get sucked in to the story.
Adapted from E. Annie Proulx’s short story, screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry have created a masterful script, one that stays completely true to the source material, yet combines some filmic techniques of their own, such as the foreshadowing: (Ennis moans over his lost shirt and we get a lingering close-up of Jack’s face; it is later revealed that Jack took his shirt), and adding in many more scenes - some that give the characters any additional depth that may have been lacking in the story (the masculinity of the relationship is emphasised with an antler shooting session), some just for the enjoyability value (Jack driving a tractor with his son is a pricelessly cute moment).
Director Ang Lee has coaxed superb performances out of his young actors. Despite all the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s performance, I was still astonished by his wordless, bruised performance as the brutal Ennis. Michelle Williams shines too, as the long-suffering wife, who has seen her husband with another man, but cannot bring herself to understand what it all means. Even Anne Hathaway, so mediocre in the Princess Diaries films, impresses as the disappointed Lureen. But the star of the show is Jake Gyllenhaal, in what must be a career-best turn. His doe-eyed portrayal of Jack is everything like how I’d expected him to be – vivacious in life, tender in love, brilliant on screen. The fact that Gyllenhaal is so 100% adorable just makes his change into a bitter, resentful old man even more depressing. Essential to the film is Jack and Ennis’ chemistry, and Gyllenhaal and Ledger have risen to the task commendably. Never before in a film have two actors had such amazing chemistry.
To label Brokeback Mountain as “that gay cowboy movie” is a horrendously cruel oversimplification. For one, intimate scenes aside, the film is every bit as heterosexual as Casablanca, maybe more so. More importantly, this film is not just a 130-minute mediation on gays. No stone is left unturned in terms of their relationship – we see how the women are affected by the relationship (in a gruelling scene Alma confronts her husband on his “fishing trips”) and we see the suffering caused by the relationship. However much we’re rooting for Jack and Ennis to make it, something tells us that they won’t make it, yet the heartbreak, when it comes, is no less devastating.
There are a few scenes in the film that have really lingered with me. One is when Jack stands by the fire, half-asleep, and Ennis cuddles him and starts whispering sweet nothings into his ear. The affection and gentle charge of that scene makes it utterly unforgettable. Another scene is when Jack, sensing Ennis’ frustration at having to leave Brokeback, playfully throws a lasso over him, which leads to a fight. To me, this scene encompasses everything the film represents – Jack’s desire to make the relationship work and make Ennis happy, and Ennis’ constant pushing him away. The same could go for almost any forbidden relationship.
Brokeback Mountain is by no means an uplifting film. Although the first half-hour has a light, jovial tone to it, the rest of the film escalates into despair, and every scene with Jack and Ennis, however sweet, bears a sense of impending doom. However, Brokeback Mountain is essentially a tribute to love, and the goodness of love. Many people have found solace in this film, and this is because, like Jack and Ennis, everyone has had a love they could not keep. Age differences, religion, class and the opinion’s of other people are just a few reasons that lovers cannot be together. But Brokeback Mountain tells us not to shy away from love, because it is the most potent, wonderful feeling. Embrace it, and embrace the movie, a resounding triumph in every way; one of the best pieces of cinema to come along in recent years.
http://mysticdollarredemption.blogspot.com/2006/02/my-review-of-brokeback-mountain_23.html
The year is 1963, and Ennis Del Mar (played by Heath Ledger), a ranch hand, and Jack Twist (the ever delectable Jake Gyllenhaal), a rodeo cowboy, meet on Brokeback Mountain in a summer job hoarding sheep. It’s the classic chalk and cheese story. Ennis struggles to mumble his own name, and Jack, the charismatic charmer, lives to communicate. Over time a slow, steady bond forms, which leads suddenly and surprisingly into a physical relationship. After Brokeback they leave to follow their own lives – Ennis marries a sweet, shy girl, Alma (Michelle Williams) and Jack marries into money through rodeo princess Lureen (Anne Hathaway), but the memory of Brokeback Mountain is one that engulfs the men’s lives for the next 20 years.
The opening half hour, in which Ennis and Jack are introduced to the audience as well a each other, is shot in a beautiful way that, whilst paying homage to the classic Westerns (with the fusions of the skylines and the grass, as well as the classic close ups of the eyes), has a dreamlike state of its own that bears closer resemblance of the 90s Art flicks. The colours and images presented to us by the cinematographer and utterly stunning, and the music, though used sparsely, is wonderful. It is impossible not to get sucked in to the story.
Adapted from E. Annie Proulx’s short story, screenwriters Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry have created a masterful script, one that stays completely true to the source material, yet combines some filmic techniques of their own, such as the foreshadowing: (Ennis moans over his lost shirt and we get a lingering close-up of Jack’s face; it is later revealed that Jack took his shirt), and adding in many more scenes - some that give the characters any additional depth that may have been lacking in the story (the masculinity of the relationship is emphasised with an antler shooting session), some just for the enjoyability value (Jack driving a tractor with his son is a pricelessly cute moment).
Director Ang Lee has coaxed superb performances out of his young actors. Despite all the hype surrounding Heath Ledger’s performance, I was still astonished by his wordless, bruised performance as the brutal Ennis. Michelle Williams shines too, as the long-suffering wife, who has seen her husband with another man, but cannot bring herself to understand what it all means. Even Anne Hathaway, so mediocre in the Princess Diaries films, impresses as the disappointed Lureen. But the star of the show is Jake Gyllenhaal, in what must be a career-best turn. His doe-eyed portrayal of Jack is everything like how I’d expected him to be – vivacious in life, tender in love, brilliant on screen. The fact that Gyllenhaal is so 100% adorable just makes his change into a bitter, resentful old man even more depressing. Essential to the film is Jack and Ennis’ chemistry, and Gyllenhaal and Ledger have risen to the task commendably. Never before in a film have two actors had such amazing chemistry.
To label Brokeback Mountain as “that gay cowboy movie” is a horrendously cruel oversimplification. For one, intimate scenes aside, the film is every bit as heterosexual as Casablanca, maybe more so. More importantly, this film is not just a 130-minute mediation on gays. No stone is left unturned in terms of their relationship – we see how the women are affected by the relationship (in a gruelling scene Alma confronts her husband on his “fishing trips”) and we see the suffering caused by the relationship. However much we’re rooting for Jack and Ennis to make it, something tells us that they won’t make it, yet the heartbreak, when it comes, is no less devastating.
There are a few scenes in the film that have really lingered with me. One is when Jack stands by the fire, half-asleep, and Ennis cuddles him and starts whispering sweet nothings into his ear. The affection and gentle charge of that scene makes it utterly unforgettable. Another scene is when Jack, sensing Ennis’ frustration at having to leave Brokeback, playfully throws a lasso over him, which leads to a fight. To me, this scene encompasses everything the film represents – Jack’s desire to make the relationship work and make Ennis happy, and Ennis’ constant pushing him away. The same could go for almost any forbidden relationship.
Brokeback Mountain is by no means an uplifting film. Although the first half-hour has a light, jovial tone to it, the rest of the film escalates into despair, and every scene with Jack and Ennis, however sweet, bears a sense of impending doom. However, Brokeback Mountain is essentially a tribute to love, and the goodness of love. Many people have found solace in this film, and this is because, like Jack and Ennis, everyone has had a love they could not keep. Age differences, religion, class and the opinion’s of other people are just a few reasons that lovers cannot be together. But Brokeback Mountain tells us not to shy away from love, because it is the most potent, wonderful feeling. Embrace it, and embrace the movie, a resounding triumph in every way; one of the best pieces of cinema to come along in recent years.
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