I Wish I Knew How To Quit You

Caught Brokeback Mountain with Luke and Jireh last night. Yeah I'm still 19(yay!) but we cleverly bought tickets for the Fridae sponsored gala premiere. It was 30 dollars, which is all good since it's in support of AFA. Besdides, we were given loads of freebies(and enough condoms to last for the year).

Inititally I was underwhelmed. Brokeback isn't in-your-face at all really. Very subtle, very tastefully shot, very poignant. Certainly not flashy and Hollywood like Memoirs Of A Geisha (which I loved!) with all it's colour and costumes and bad English. Actually I had a bit of a problem understanding the cowboy dialogue (it's not MY fault that I can't understand Hillbilly-speak!), but that was a product of the setting I suppose. I mean, we can't have Jack sounding like Carrie Bradshaw and Ennis sounding like Bryanboy (who sounds FABULOUS btw!) can we?

I'll attempt a very shallow summary. Jack and Ennis first meet at Brokeback where they are both employed as SHEPARDS. They end up having sex. Jack usually seems like the one to initiate things but Ennis does break down when they part ways after the sheep grazing season is over. Both end up married with kids. Ennis marries this DULL, run-of-the-mill thing and remains poor while Jack marries UP, to the daughter of a rich farm equippment seller, played by Anne Hathaway. Now, I've NEVER been a fan of Anne (she's very nearly in the Resse Witherspoon category for me), but I felt she was brilliant in her role. Certainly was a nice change from the usual princess diaries nonsense. And definitely deserved that best supporting actress nod over BLAND Michelle Williams. Anyway they reunite after 4 years and go "fishing" together thrice a year, which is the best that Ennis can offer. Ennis ends up divorcing blandie but still doesn't want to committ to Jack, who resorts to going to the Mexican border to fulfill his *ahem* urges. Going to Mexico to indulge in vice. How very typical. Anyway in the end Jack gets lynched (and I'm unsure if his wife was the one who plotted it) and the movie ends with Ennis caressing his old shirt and gazing at a picture of Brokeback, where it all began.

That probably didn't to the storyline justice but I can't be bothered. I suppose we in Singapore are a lot better off than the fags living in Wyoming in the 60s, if there were any to begin with. The audience knows from their very first fuck that there this is not going to be a story with a happy ending. They are unable to live together even though there is nothing more each would like. So bring on the wives and the annoying, crying babies, because we're not queer. We just happen to like having sex and enjoy each other's intimate company. It's Ennis who balks at the thought of living together on a ranch. Jack seems like he couldn't care less. And perhaps that's why Jack's the one who ends up getting lynched. Their self-denial ends up hurting not just them but others around them. Ennis' bland wife opens the window to see her howdy-do macho cowboy husband frenching his long lost friend in what is quite the hilarious scene. But she keeps her silence for years and that is the one thing that makes me feel a little sympathy for her.

Regret is a big theme in the film. But I guess they (especially Ennis) know that even if they could turn back time, they wouldn't be able to change anything. Silly cowboys should have moved to da city! Anyway, that's about it for my review. It's certainly not very well typed out. And it's not as impassioned and heartfelt as Meng's, but yeah I just really want to watch the Grammys. LOL at Mary Carry losing all her televised awards. And YAY Kelly.

Since U Been Gone