Brokeback Mountain (***)

This has been one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year and with good reason. It's well-acted, especially by Heath Ledger, who could very well find himself with a Best Actor statue come Oscar night. Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway give standout performances as well. It's also a moving, and even haunting, love story about a life wasted and an opportunity lost. I think the fact that the love story is between two men is what makes the film so impressive in critics' eyes. Brokeback Mountain is much more than just the "gay cowboy" movie. I have to admit though that I was a little disappointed after all the build-up. The emotional release that we, as an audience, wait for in Ledger's Ennis Del Mar never comes. And as revolutionary the movie is at times, it's also often pedestrian. There are parts to this story that we've seen many times over before. The gay spin only disguises the film's familiarity so much. Go in with tempered expectations, and you'll be impressed.