Main Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Anna Faris, and Linda Cardellini
Summary: A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted.
Review: I went into this one with mixed expectations. As far as Ang Lee's work, I had only ever seen Hulk, which I had mediocre feelings about, but I did remember thinking it was a surprisingly deep and quiet film for a super hero movie.
Brokeback too was a relatively methodically paced and quiet film. There's good character development in the beginning, and the film doesn't move too quickly or too slowly into the whole love affair part of the story, the anticipation is held perfectly. Gyllenhaal and Ledger are perfect in their respective roles, their performances standing out from one another but yet simultaneously complimenting each other.
The technical aspects of the film add perfectly in to create this well-rounded work of art. The cinematography and lighting remains fairly dark throughout a lot of the film, and the stunning forrest landscapes and barren Western plains are shot beautifully by Lee.
The supporting cast was also a pleasent surprise, as I feared the film would center too much on the two main characters. Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, and Linda Cardellini all turn in solid performances.
The story too, does not drag, and the film avoids simply being a gay-cowboy movie and instead transcends into a tale of life and relationships in general.
Overall, a fantastic film, and my pick for best of 2005.
Direction – 18/20 Acting – 20/20 Story – 14/15 Rewatchability – 11/15 Music – 9/10 Depth – 9/10 Cinematography – 5/5 Supporting Cast – 5/5 TOTAL = 91%
91% = 4.5/5 Stars
Best Quote: "You sit down before I knock your ignorant ass into next week!"
