Brokeback Mountain

Ok. Everybody is talking about it. You can't pick up a newspaper these days without finding some reference to it.

I don't like bragging but I was one of the few early birds to watch this movie at the Toronto Film Fest back in September. Ang Lee had just won the Venice award and skipped the Toronto premiere, but he was back in time to watch the screening I attended. It was the middle of the day. I skipped work, bought tix and went to Paramount Cinemas on Richmond/John. The huge line full of industry professionals, critics and press-types should have been a give-away. I sat next to this particularly chatty Jewish ex-New Yorker. She was interested in Bollywood and I gave her a list of must-see movies. The Chinese girl next to her only spoke sign language, and was glad to find someone to 'talk' to (not me, the ex-New Yorker).

And then the movie began. The starkness of the scenery had me mesmerised. The meadows brought back memories of 'Legends of the Fall'. Heath Ledger was entirely convincing as a cowboy. Jake Gyllenhaal less so. The storyline brought back a flood of emotions. Like one of the newspaper critics said, the movie felt like someone kicking you in the guts.

I usually don't cry during movies, and I'm not sure I did at this one. It feels like I did at some point - or was at least about to. The music was mesmerizing - specially this guitar piece called "The Wings". The movie ended. The credits rolled. Ang Lee appeared - back from Venice. He answered a few questions and then we all left - everyone visibly shaken in some way.

Brokeback Mountain is a good movie, that also happens to be a gay movie. I hope it teaches the world that being gay is a feeling in your heart, not a lifestyle.