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Generating all the Oscar buzz at the moment, as well as some very positive reviews, Brokeback Mountain is certainly a brilliant piece of filmmaking. It's a surprisingly gentle experience, with a slow but never boring pace, and little flashiness from either the directing or the acting. Even the much-talked-about gay aspect isn't as prevalent as the buzz would have you believe. Basically, it's just a sad and moving story of forbidden love that just happens to involve two men. The whole film has a sort of effortless feeling to it, as if the stuff on screen is simply happening, and the passing of time is very well illustrated while not being shoved in your face. Pretty big stretches of time are just left for the audience to fill in but it works perfectly. It's also a very original piece of work, not least for the brave gay theme. The structure is rather unusual, as for the first third there are basically just the two main characters and not much of a plot either, but it's enchanting nonetheless. The cinematography is stunning, as are the locations. I thought the end lingered a little too long but it's not a huge complaint. The positive publicity is well justified.
The summary
Brokeback Mountain is slow-paced but extremely well acted, not to mention original.
