I love how films like Last Days and Broken Flowers are always given the shaft come Oscar time.

Yeah... I think those were my two favorite films of the year.

I haven't seen, nor do I really have any desire to see Brokeback Mountain, and one of the main reasons for this is that the only thing I've heard about it is that it deals with gay cowboys.

What else is there to the movie; there must be something there to have been reviewed so highly, but all anyone is talking about is either how brave it is for portraying gay cowboys like it did, or how it's just trash exploiting the gay angle to get a bunch of artsy reviews and awards.

Originally posted by CancerKitty:

"Beautifully shot, tediously paced, it's worth consideration if only for Heath Ledger's devastating performance as a despairing man done in by time and circumstance."
-- Glenn Whipp, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

"It is simply one of the greatest love stories in film history."
-- Joe Williams, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

"Quiet mastery of 'the look that speaks volumes'"
-- S. James Wegg, JWR

"Brokeback Mountain, if you are willing to give it a chance, is an emotional, heartbreaking movie. "
-- Willie Waffle, WAFFLEMOVIES.COM

"Ang Lee takes his time developing the characters and situations, making the proceedings credible. And Rodrigo Prieto's photography captures the magnificent Wyoming settings by emphasizing natural beauty, as well as the feeling of remoteness and isolation."
-- Jeff Vice, DESERET NEWS, SALT LAKE CITY

"Ang Lee's best film to date; career best performances of Ledger and Gyllenhaal, amazing score and cinematography and a heartbreaking love story to boot. One word: Wow."
-- Boyd Van Hoeij, EUROPEANFILMS.NET

"A haunting and complex story that explores the strength and fragility of love, Ang Lee's visually magnificent film is as affecting as it is beautiful."
-- Urban Cinefile Critics, URBAN CINEFILE


"Ang Lee conveys maddening delirium rendered in the way one man’s eyes gaze at another’s, and then look away, and the looking-away amounts to the murder of two souls as surely as if they’d drawn guns and hit each other in the heart."
-- Ken Tucker, NEW YORK MAGAZINE

"Ang Lee's unmissable and unforgettable Brokeback Mountain hits you like a shot in the heart. It's a landmark film and a triumph for Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal."
-- Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE

My point being, this film has been praised for multiple aspects besides its risky subject matter. Saying this is the sole reason this film is recieving acclaim is fairly absurd and one-sided. I urge you to see it for yourself.

I cant understand any real film fan not seeing such a highly praised film eventually. At least to see if it is overrated. Even if you dont necessarly agree with the what is going to be shown for 90 seconds.

Hell, I hate murderers far more then any homophobe hates gays, and Die Hard and Goodfellas and Godfather are among my favorite films :p

The reason why I hesitate in seeing BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN isn't because of the subject material. I mean, Mingella's THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY was rather brilliant with Matt Damon being a repressed homosexual/manipulative bastard.

No, the reason is because I've never been impressed with Ang Lee. Some directors I just have trust that the end-product will be good, or at least worth my time. However, Lee has never to me met the praise and respect hes gotten from many for years. I felt CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, while a nice picture, isn't anything remarkable from the Chinese cinema, though its possible importance in being a huge hit in America/Europe is to not be ignored.

Meanwhile, nevermind that I admit that I had no time for his SENSE & SENSIBILITY, and THE HULK....well, I thought of that as a failure that where in some ways it tried to be bold and different, yet still failed to be anything unique. Some folks tell me that RIDE WITH THE DEVIL is good, but thats way back in my catalog of pictures to watch.

Though interestingly, people haven't written about this actually. If predictions go right, and Lee does win the Best Director Oscar....he'll be the first Asian to win it.

I gave my vote for Munich. For all it's imperfections, it still has been one of ht e most breathtaking film viewing experiances i've had in yers. It doesn't stand a chance at the Oscars though.

It isn't.

Capo, ya I suspect that as much. Like I said, I'm not in a rush at all to see that or other Lee flicks I haven't already seen.