USER REVIEWS:
mmcgown0 9A moving tale of star-crossed lovers, beautifully filmed.
bball 8Exceptional study of human interaction poised against societal prejudice against homosexuality. Great writing, beautiful camera work, fantastic performance by all the actors especially by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenthall.
amyanderson 9Groundbreaking, moving, beautiful cinematography, superb acting. I wish Lee would have developed Michelle Williams character and relationship with Heath Ledger. Since the movie span is 20+ years I know this would have been hard, but overall left me speechless.
rutabaga 10Excellent. I still find it hilarious that Heath Ledger's character's name was pronounced Anus, though spelled Ennis. To top it all off, his last name is Del Mar, so his name means Anus of the sea.
Oracle 9Perhaps it does prove that gay people can be strong. Nevertheless, a landmark film. Ang Lee directs it with marvelous courage...its that rare thing, a big Hollywood weeper with a beautiful ache at its center.
shodanbro 7It's good because it is a touching love story, with beautiful and rare cinematography (shot in Canada btw, NOT Wyoming). It's bad because it's simply a story of forbidden love that we've all seen before, except this time it uses the much overwrought cliche of gay cowboys. And hey, that's cool man, just don't beat me over the head with all the sappy cowboys on the range, starlit nights, and huddling around the campfire scenes with realllllly sappy music to setup the seemingly unavoidable romance.
madmitch 9Excellent. Sad and touching seeing the pair in a love story pretty much doomed to fail. Beautifully shot.
jefferyb 8Great looking movie, with some great scenes.
dack 10If you're not deeply moved by this film then I reckon there's somethin' wrong with you, cowboy. Ang Lee is the real star. He again does the everyone-knows-they're-gay-but-can't-say-it thing like he did in The Wedding Banquet (another excellent film) but to greater effect here. All the actors are superb with the one exception of Randy Quaid who I think was miscast just based on his filmography (Vacation anyone?). I thought Anne Hathaway (you've come a long way, baby) was better than Michelle Williams, who got the nomination. Besides being a great story is the incredible attention to detail the way each era is nailed with the music, the vehicles, the clothes, the whiskey bottles, and the way Gyllenhaal and Ledger aged over the years. It's been a couple of years since I've seen a movie this good and I see quite a bit.
romeodawg 10Sweeping, epic, heart-breaking.... an instant classic. Ledger's anguished, suppressed performance should have won him the Oscar.
Gatita 8This is a good film, although the subject matter is the same. I dont think it is worth the Academy AwardŽ for best picture. Ang Lee directs it very well, and the shots are beautifull. It is very dramatic.
good-o 6I dunno, it seems a little clumsy to me, and it is like most Ang Lee films, too long. its ok but definetly not this:
Christian Science Monitor
Peter Rainer 10 ...nothing like this film has ever really been seen before from a major movie company.
E!
10 ...one of the best flicks of the year.
Onion AV Club
Keith Phipps 10 Annie Proulx's celebrated short story ... gets a worthy expansion.
filmcritic.com
David Thomas 10
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman 10 ...is that rare thing, a big Hollywood weeper with a beautiful ache at its center.
Stacy 4Mediocre movie. I think it only got so much attention because people aren't used to seeing gay men as normal, guys' guys.
stevilbot 9a really incredible picture. fantastic direction, performances and a beautifully shot. you will leave depressed.
This movie is available on DVD/Video