29 January, 2006 | Leave a Comment

I’m still under the weather but I decided to have a little fun this weekend. (I’ve heard horror stories about bronchitis lasting for over a month. And thanks to all the encouraging people who shared this with me). I was going a bit stir crazy, you see. A hacking cough does not make one popular out in public, but screw it. I wouldn’t be sick right now if not for some very selfish people who decided to ride public transport and spread their germs around. Yes, I realize that I am now also spreading germs, but I am the victim here! Let’s not lose sight of that.

So, on the agenda this weekend: two restaurants and two movies. I scarfed some Mexican food, which wasn’t bad considering how far I am from Mexico right now. (Funnily enough, the kitchen staff at the restaurant got into a fight while I was there, screaming, yelling and even throwing things. They were yelling in Spanish so I had no clue what they were arguing about, unfortunately.) I also ate at Yo! Sushi, one of those restaurants where food comes around on a conveyor belt and you choose what looks good. Very tasty food and very clever concept. You forget how much money you’re spending and if you’re like me, you end up choosing dishes because they’re “cute” and spending £17.

The first film I saw was Brokeback I wish I knew how to quit you! Mountain. Last fall, I was v. excited to see this flick. But then it became so hugely hyped and the critics’ darling and well, that just turns me off. I don’t want to go to a movie and feel like I must love it or there’s something wrong with me, like I’m missing a heart or have a personality disorder. But I finally made my way to the cinema, forked over enough cash to feed a Guatemalan family for a month, and took my seat.

And the thing is, I really loved the film. It’s a brave and important piece of work. As the Brits would say, it’s brilliant. The first third of the film is a bit like watching a Calvin Klein commercial (I mean, I’m a born and bred Westerner and there ain’t many cowboys who look like Heath Ledger and Jake Jellohead or whatever his last name is). I didn’t really know what the film was about beyond the obvious, so I was surprised that it ended up spanning over 20 years. This movie wasn’t just about two hunky cowboys doing the nasty in a tent on a mountainside. Such a film may have sparked a bit of prurient interest amongst the public, but it would not have been a great film. Instead, Brokeback is about men who married women, fathered children and were compelled to live their lives as a lie. Ang Lee’s direction is quiet and understated. (Perhaps he should change his first name to Angst.) He’s confident enough to let the story speak for itself. Remarkably, neither of the leading men is portrayed as a victim or a martyr. Neither one is entirely likable either.

I think that Heath Ledger deserves to win the Oscar for best actor. I was surprised at how well an Australian actor nailed the American/Western accent so perfectly, much better than his Yankee co-star. Ledger’s Ennis Delmar is the heart of the film and he gives a pitch-perfect performance. This reviewer for the NYT sums it up nicely: “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.” I agree that he magically disappears beneath the skin of his character. I have rarely been so awed by an actor’s transformative performance.

The NYT also points out that this movie, though it begins in 1963, should not really be viewed as a period piece, given how large segments of America are still rife with homophobia. This is obviously true. Case in point: The owner of the movie theatre near my parents’ house refused to show Brokeback Mountain, though he doesn’t hesitate to screen movies chockfull of senseless violence and gratuitous sex. The owner, Larry H. Miller, is not some run-of-the-mill hick whose parents are brother and sister. (Well, I’m not sure about that last part.) He owns the Jazz, an NBA basketball team (and I bet his eyes are shut tight when he’s in the locker room, right Larry?), as well as myriad car dealerships and other businesses. According to KUTV, Heath Ledger responded to Miller thusly: “Personally, I don’t think the movie is (controversial), but I think maybe the Mormons in Utah do. I think it’s hilarious and very immature of a society.” Click here to find out how you can contact Larry H. Miller. Go on, send him a nice little note! Even if he doesn’t know how to read, I’m sure he’ll get the message.

Given the ignorance and bigotry that still exists in our culture, I think it took a lot of courage for both actors to play these roles, for the director to make this film, and for the studio to finance it. Well done!

Tomorrow, stay tuned for more testosterone…my review of Munich!

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1. Me Says:

   January 29th, 2006 at 11:36 pm

   I thought Ang Lee was a woman.

2. Anglofille Says:

   January 29th, 2006 at 11:45 pm

   Nope! He’s definitely a bloke.

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