Homos On The Range.

I like men.

I just don't want to sleep with them.

Besides, to quote my friend Tammy, women are way too "squishy and fun." That said, we just saw Brokeback Mountain. I'm no Gene Siskel, but I know a good movie when I see one.

Ishtar is not that movie. Neither is Son of Mask. Brokeback Mountain is. I loved it. This is what happens when you put good actors, good stories, good writing, and a good director in a room together. Or on a mountain range. Good things just happen. If you haven't seen it, don't read on. Although I think we all kinda know what it's about by now.


The very talented wives, played by hotties Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. Movie fact: Boobies were exposed for a mere 2.8 seconds in a film that is two hours and 14 minutes long. Why so stingy, Ang?



In case you're curious about the moving parts, here's a mini review, courtesy of Adam Sandel, of the Sentinel Film Writer.

Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, 'Brokeback Mountain' is the tale of ranch hand Ennis Del Mar [Heath Ledger] and rodeo cowboy Jack Twist [Jake Gyllenhaal] who spend a 1963 summer herding sheep on a remote Wyoming mountain. After struggling with the harsh environment and their physical and emotional isolation, the young men have a sudden, almost violent sexual encounter that neither of them understands. It grows into a tender kinship that must end with the summer as Ennis heads back home to marry his sweetheart Alma [Michelle Williams] and Jack heads back to Texas. The film follows the men through the years as Jack marries a rodeo queen Anne Hathaway and both raise families. A reunion four years later proves that their love has only deepened with time — but Ennis is convinced that much larger forces make it impossible for them to ever be together.








Ang Lee. Not really that hot, but a great director.


There were a few times I almost cried. Almost, okay? And it wasn't because I felt Ennis and Jack's burning, forbidden love tugging at my heart strings. I get it, that was the point of the movie. But I thought the writers and Ang Lee did a really good job demonstrating how far the pain spread, by making us understand the parents, the kids, and the wives too - particularly Michelle William's character - and what they were going through. The fishing rod that still had the tag on it after years of supposed use. The notes she left on the hook, that never got read. The little man-on-man trist behind their house that she happened to see. It's got to be hard enough for a woman to see her husband cheating the 'traditional' way. How do they feel when they see their husband making out with a fishing buddy? Hey, maybe it's just me, but a life with either of these women would have been pretty darn good. Of course, who wants to cuddle up to Michelle Williams when you can have a nice hairy man to keep you warm?

What I can't understand is why there's so much talk and other hoopla over Heath Ledger's absolutely unreal performance - which it was - and not a peep about Jake Gyllenhaal's - who actually had a more difficult role, I thought. This movie will win lots of Academy Awards, if not more. It's already cleaned up at the other award shows. And to think there are theatres across the country that will not show this movie because of the subject matter. I even read a blog that stated "no straight man will go to see this movie without prodding from his wife." That's just dumb. It's totally worth seeing.

By some odd coincidence, there was a large gay contingent sitting behind us led by none other than 'Jai', of Queer Eye For The Straight Guy fame. He also lives in my building. I see him walking his dog every now and then. One of these days, I'm going to casually ask him if I can get a 2-minute opinion of my apartment decor. Don't know what my opening line will be, but we have so much to talk about now, don't you think?