Controversial subject matter in cowboy drama

21/04/2006 - 18:14:34
Ang Lee picked up a director’s Oscar for Brokeback Mountain (EIV, €24.99), but the film missed out on the ultimate seal of approval, perhaps because it tackled a subject far from the moral centre of America — homosexuality.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play two cowboys whose relationship proves undimmed by the passage of time and the arrival of their own families.

Both actors deliver measured performances, and Lee’s direction, despite a sluggish start, keeps the drama moving.

Features on Lee and cowboys, and interviews with the screenwriters flesh out the title, but why no director’s commentary?

Drama

Star Rating: 4/5.