I figured that “Brokeback Mountain” would rack up numerous Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture, so I knew that I would have to see it before the Academy Awards were presented. When I saw that it would be showing at Tinseltown, I jumped at the chance to see it and brought my wife with me.

We weren’t disappointed.

“Brokeback Mountain” deserves all eight of its Oscar nominations. It is a beautifully filmed tale of forbidden love against an amazing backdrop. Director Ang Lee recovers from a mediocre “Hulk” with this small story set on a grand landscape and every choice he made, from casting to music, was right on the money.

The story follows the lives of Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) from the time they meet as ranch hands working one summer herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain until 20 years later when circumstances in their lives have forced them apart. While the plot is considered controversial in some circles and many consider it the “gay cowboy movie,” that simple synopsis does the film a great disservice. “Brokeback Mountain,” to me, was about love, friendship and family, among other things. In fact, the film could’ve been set at the same time, 1963, and featured an interracial couple in love and the themes would have been the same. Society would not accept a relationship like that, so choices were made and living with those choices became hard for everybody involved.

The acting in the film, top to bottom, was superb with most of the actors, especially Ledger, giving the performances of their career. Ledger is so understated in his performance of a broken young man who grows into a fractured older man and cannot or will not allow himself to be healed. The only one I can’t put in that list is Gyllenhaal, who gave the performance of his career in “Donnie Darko.” He is great in this film but I did not accept the aging of his character in the film as much as I accepted the aging of Ennis. Towards the end of the film, there are times where Ledger looks almost like a younger Clint Eastwood and his facial expressions, much like Eastwood’s, often tell much more than any words could.

Super kudos must go to both Michelle Williams — who played Ennis’ wife, Alma — and Anne Hathaway, who played Jack’s wife, Lureen. Their roles, while tragic, showcase tremendous strength among a level of sadness and isolation, particularly in Williams’ portrayal of Alma. In smaller supporting roles, Anna Faris gave the film a quick boost of energy and humor as a talkative socialite wife and Linda Cardellini, as a cocktail waitress with an eye on Ennis, is a joy in her scenes toward the end of the film. Randy Quaid also gives an excellent performance as Mr. Aguirre, the man who hires the young men that first summer.

One cannot say enough about the cinematography, though, which is central to the story and becomes a star itself. The scenes set in Riverton, Wyoming, where Ennis and his wife live, are so grey and desolate, that the scenes at Brokeback Mountain look even more glorious in comparison. This contrast illustrates the freedom that both men feel away from their daily lives and the fact that Lee captures it so well should make him a shoo-in for Best Director.

Let me take a moment to dispel some rumors. “Brokeback Mountain” is not a graphic film. While there is one scene that may make some uncomfortable (myself inlcuded) in the urgency that it presents between the two men and one scene of the two kissing, there is nothing in this film that could be considered graphic. It is far tamer than some other R-rated Hollywood fare and that is because the physical aspect of their relationship is presented as secondary to their friendship. The film may not be for everybody, but “Brokeback Mountain” is hard to forget and deserves to be among the four other films as nominees for the Best Picture of the Year.

****1/2

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