I was worried that with all the hype surrounding this movie, it wouldn’t live up to the expectations. But, it did, and I thought this movie, and especially, Heath Ledger, was excellent. I wrote a bit about the plot under the books section, and the movie followed the book closely. While strongly acted by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, Ledger, who plays Ennis Del Mar, stands out by mastering the “tough cowboy” act, while at the same time letting the audience see the passionate emotions he must deal with in his love for Gyllenhaal (Jack Twist). Ennis initially stongly denies his feelings for Jack, both externally and internally. He states “You know I ain’t queer”, after he and Jack spend the night together. And even though Ennis might say [and believe] that, what follows is a complex 20-year relationship that takes them through marriages, children, jobs, and their feelings for each other.
Rating: ****