Must-see movie that we finally got around to seeing, within a year (barely: we watched it Friday) of its failure to win a Best Picture Oscar.
(I love Crash as much as anyone, but now that I've seen both movies, the fact that I could go either way probably means that anyone who didn't like Crash as much as I did (which is probably most people) sees this as a bad choice. I can't blame them.)
For the movie watching experience the best part is the scenery (now that I know it was actually filmed in Alberta, I have a some sightseeing to do before I die). In a theater, the worst part would probably be the slow-as-molasses pace of the dialog. (Yes, I grew up in Oklahoma. But yes, I've been in either Boston or San Francisco for the last 15 years; why do you ask?) We watched it at 1.35 speed, which made the dialog pace seem exactly normal (as opposed to the Sorkin/Mamet style that a speedup usually generates) but the words themselves quite rapid, though still not enough to require subtitles.
Ennis is not necessary gay. He loves Jack, of course, and of course Jack is gay, but Ennis is a cold, reserved man who's lived a hard life and really doesn't connect much to anyone, male or female.
We actually know someone whose visceral revulsion from this movie was to the idea that otherwise straight Ennis could be successfully seduced, or to the idea that once that person's young son were in college, he could get the idea that it doesn't matter whether he dates men or women and could happen to choose to date a few men.
(N.B. To which my response would be, well, it doesn't matter whether he dates men or women. If he's biologically straight, then with 99.99% probability any given date he goes on will be with a woman. Geez, more people should watch -- and understand -- Kissing Jessica Stein.)
Anyhow: Sad movie. Very moving. Best of both worlds in that it had a chick-flick plot but without the maddening irrationality of a stereotypical "chick" protagonist. (Quite the opposite, given how both Ennis and Jack are such "guys.")
Posted by Matt Bruce at February 26, 2007 01:30 PMEnnis is not necessarily gay. He loves Jack...
On a similar note, I always thought Smithers was more interesting when we he was portrayed as a "Burns-o-sexual" in the early seasons than as a homosexual in later seasons.
Posted by: Kubi at February 28, 2007 06:43 AM