Brokeback Mountain


Ang Lee has a versatile résumé. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Sense And Sensibility, Hulk. Yet I have never seen any of his movies, although at least the first two are critically acclaimed. Today, I saw his latest effort, Brokeback Mountain.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are simply outstanding. Flawless performances. Heath, as an Australian, has an impressive American accent and mumbles every sentence in the best Marlon Brando-tradition. Jake is more sensitive. His speech near the end of the movie is heartfelt and sincere.

It’s amazing to see two previously “average” actresses really stand out in a supporting role. Michelle Williams was just “the chick” from Dawson’s Creek to me. Here, she shines. Anne Hathaway was of course cute in The Princess Diaries, but she didn’t show true potential in that movie. Here, she does.

The movie makes you think. Is it worth judging people by their preferences? Can’t we just get along with each other? Is it all worth the fuss?

With both beautiful music (sober thus fitting) and cinematography plus the mentioned actors, Brokeback Mountain deserves a strong "thumbs up". Don’t miss it.



Julian De Backer, 12 March 2006