Starring:
Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Anna Faris, Kate Mara, Linda Cardellini and Randy Quaid

Director:
Ang Lee

Running Time:
134 mins

Out to buy on DVD 04/04/06 (North America) 24/04/06 (UK)

• Slightly overlong
• Slow in parts

"I can't quit you"

In the summer of 1963, ranchers Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) meet as they work the sheep flocks on Brokeback Mountain. Over the months together up on the mountain, they form a bond that escalates into a physical attraction. As the work ends, the two go their separate ways, living their lives, getting married and having children but never forgetting that relationship up on the mountain.

Director Ang Lee takes a break from the excesses of the comic book and martial arts worlds and returns to the character based drama that got him noticed by Hollywood in the first place.

After excesses of 'Hulk' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' it is easy to forget that Ang Lee forged his craft with character driven pieces. More in keeping with 'Ride with the Devil' or 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Brokeback Mountain' is another period piece that is much more than just a 'gay cowboy movie'.

Set over a twenty-year period starting from their first meeting in 1963, the film charts the relationship between Jack and Ennis and the effect that it has on their lives and their family's. This was a time when any gay relationship was distinctly taboo, especially in the US, so it had to be kept a secret for the whole of that time. This is not a film that preaches about gay rights and freedoms however, it reflects on the difficulties that these relationships caused when Jack and Ennis simply just wanted to be together. It is this anguish and longing that makes the movie about forbidden love and not a political or social statement.

The taboo of a straight actor playing a gay character isn't as strong as it was in the previous millennium. The once career threatening choice is now not such a big deal as much of the developed world has become more tolerant and open towards of gay relationships. In decades past the roles of Jack and Ennis would have been considered career suicide for big name, heartthrob actors like Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal but now the roles just show the diversity of their range and the skill of their acting ability. The two main actor's portrayal of the characters is as far removed from the stereotypical Hollywood view of gay men as you could possibly get. Both Jack and Ennis are the epitome of Western manliness, cowboys through and through and they never act camp or do anything that Tinsel Town would refer to as outrageously gay. This approach is very beneficial to the film and the characters, taking the emphasis away from the fact that this is a gay relationship and concentrating on the fact that these two people are soul mates who have found each other but convention, society and family is keeping them apart.

Both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are exceptional in their roles. Each of them are no strangers to big budget blockbusters but they refined their craft in smaller budget character driven pieces, where Hollywood noticed them in the first place. 'Brokeback Mountain' has the scale of a bigger budget production but has the characters and story of a smaller budget, indie movie. This combination enables the actors to create believable characters, whose trails and tribulations over the twenty-year period will endear you to their plight. These roles will finally get these talented individuals the recognition they deserve.

The film is mainly about the performances of Ledger and Gyllenhaal but the supporting cast also have their roles to play. Michelle Williams is exceptional as Ennis's long-suffering wife Alma. She is a simple woman, wife and mother who grows suspicious of the amount of time that Ennis spends with Jack and has to cope with coming second in his life. The role of Lureen, Jack's rich and tempestuous wife, is a real departure for former teen sweetheart Anne Hathaway. The actress finally sheds her princess screen persona and reveals the true talent that she has been hiding for many years. This is a big step forward in her career and one that should propel her into more dramatic roles. When you add to this good performances from Linda Cardellini and Randy Quaid, you have a very solid cast.

'Brokeback Mountain' is a real return to form for director Ang Lee. This is a story about forbidden love, fear and missed opportunities that is far beyond the 'gay cowboy' movie label that the film has been unfairly tarnished with. While is might be slightly overlong and slow in places, it is the characters and the emotional story that draw you in and make this such a well played, beautifully shot and expertly directed movie.