People hate this movie...

[bbm_stitchbuffyfan]

I was just checking my Netflix account and out of Brokeback obsession, I decided I'd read the reviews by customers on Brokeback Mountain. I must have gone through eleven pages and saw, at most, three reviews that gave it four or five stars. Several gave it three, but that's extremely average.

So many people were criticizing the movie, and it was so annoying! All the reviews said the same thing: "So boring. Felt no love between the characters, couldn't root for them either. No build up to the first love scene. The movie was mean to the wives. Heath mumbled. This movie is SOOOO OVERRATED. Critics got it wrong. Oh, but I liked the scenery..." Shut up, my God.

I was sitting there, dumbfounded. I was like, how? I was like, you see the chemistry between the characters, the sympathy everyone has for Lureen and Alma, the brilliance of the music, nuances, symbols, acting, etc. It made me mad. Soon I'm gonna write a (hopefully elaborate) five-star review praising the movie.

Anyway, has anyone else ran into repeated claims by others that this movie "sucks?" Cause of all the people I know who have seen it, 90% of them think it's overrated and alienating.

In the end, it's not a big deal, but I sometimes fear it will have a Titanic-like backlash. At first everyone loved that movie, now people joke about it. I don't want that for Brokeback, cause it's such a powerfully and artfully made masterpiece.

[Penthesilea]

So many people were criticizing the movie, and it was so annoying! All the reviews said the same thing: "So boring. Felt no love between the characters, couldn't root for them either. No build up to the first love scene. The movie was mean to the wives. Heath mumbled. This movie is SOOOO OVERRATED. Critics got it wrong. Oh, but I liked the scenery..." Shut up, my God.

Anyway, has anyone else ran into repeated claims by others that this movie "sucks?" Cause of all the people I know who have seen it, 90% of them think it's overrated and alienating.

Sounds familiar. Reminds me of my first days/weeks after seeing BBM for the first time, when I was on IMDB.
God, this makes me almost feel nostalic. But only almost. It really is annoying.

In RL I didn't experience such reactions. But I know only four people who have seen it. One is a Brokie like us, the others liked it and thought it was a really good movie (but weren't infected by Brokeback Fever  ).

[SFEnnisSF]

There will not be a Titanic-like backlash.  It's impossible... 

I have learned so much about this movie and people's different reactions to it over the last 10 months. 

#1 This is an OPEN NARRITAVE movie, meaning you are not spoon fed the movie.  You are given bits and pieces of the story and it's up to you, the viewer, to add your own experiences and complete it.  So, what you bring to the movie is what you take away from it.  Example:  If all you have to bring is you are is a woman who's been cheated on before, then that's all you're going to see in this movie.  Those are the emotions you are going to identify with the most. 

#2 Not everyone is at the same place in their lives as everyone else, regardless of age.  Someone may view this now and find it slow and boring (because they had nothing to add to it), and then they might watch it again 10 years from now and it will have so much more meaning and emotion.  It just depends on where you are at in your life and again, what do you have to bring to the movie itself.

#3 Unfortuately yes, the movie was hyped.  So much in fact that people had so much emotions (fright, anticipation, etc) about watching the movie, that now when they've finally rented it, it probably doesn't live up to THEIR expectations they had.  Don't forget, these are people who would have not normally seen this movie, who didn't go to the theatre, and are only renting it from Netflix because it was 'hyped'.  It really isn't a movie for them...

#4 The movie also has the ability to stir up some just genuinely human emotions.  It causes us to look in the mirror, and many renters are not expecting that.  And they're angry, because they don't like what they see in the mirror.  So the natural thing to do is lash out and attack the movie.  Don't worry, they'll come around eventually, and regret what they said.  Maybe, hopefully...

Ignore all the negative posts and such, just like we did 10 months ago.  They mean nothing in terms to the countless lives this movie has touched and the many people this movie has helped and enlightened.   

[Katie77]

The reason why i think some people think it is boring, is the anticipation of people waiting to see the boys "get together"....

I think most people know before they see the movie, that they are going to get together, so its a bit of a waiting game for when it happens, and if thats all they are waiting for, then it seems to take quite a while from when the movie starts until they finally get into the first tent scene.

Anyone I have come accross they say they "hate" the movie, are usually homophobes who havent even seen it.

[Luvlylittlewing]

I was just checking my Netflix account and out of Brokeback obsession, I decided I'd read the reviews by customers on Brokeback Mountain. I must have gone through eleven pages and saw, at most, three reviews that gave it four or five stars. Several gave it three, but that's extremely average.

So many people were criticizing the movie, and it was so annoying! All the reviews said the same thing: "So boring. Felt no love between the characters, couldn't root for them either. No build up to the first love scene. The movie was mean to the wives. Heath mumbled. This movie is SOOOO OVERRATED. Critics got it wrong. Oh, but I liked the scenery..." Shut up, my God.

I was sitting there, dumbfounded. I was like, how? I was like, you see the chemistry between the characters, the sympathy everyone has for Lureen and Alma, the brilliance of the music, nuances, symbols, acting, etc. It made me mad. Soon I'm gonna write a (hopefully elaborate) five-star review praising the movie.

Anyway, has anyone else ran into repeated claims by others that this movie "sucks?" Cause of all the people I know who have seen it, 90% of them think it's overrated and alienating.

In the end, it's not a big deal, but I sometimes fear it will have a Titanic-like backlash. At first everyone loved that movie, now people joke about it. I don't want that for Brokeback, cause it's such a powerfully and artfully made masterpiece.

I have heard this about Netflix and can't explain it.  I also refuse to pay attention to the "haters."  You ask if we ran into repeated claims that this movie sucks?  I haven't - just the opposite.  90% of the people I know who have seen BBM (gay and straight, male and female) loved the movie.  In fact, my daughter's violin teacher and her husband recently ordered BBM from Netflix and watched it last week.  Both of them were blown away.  I even passed along to my favorite reviews, fanfiction, essays written by IMDB posters (I keep all this in my car).  I may be wrong, but I suspect those who felt BBM is overrated wrote reviews while the people who loved it didn't bother. 

[bbm_stitchbuffyfan]

sfericsf's #1 and #2 make the most sense to me. It seems most likely a scorned woman would feel the movie did not sympathize with the wives (most all of us disagree).

You're point about the story being an open narrative is so true. I really admire how the movie is like an epic series of memories, without doing a Fried Green Tomatoes-style flashback narrative, and by the end of the movie, these memories feel like they are your own. As with all memories, some details become hazy, and it's up to you to fill in the pieces.

[horo35]

The reason why i think some people think it is boring, is the anticipation of people waiting to see the boys "get together"....

I think most people know before they see the movie, that they are going to get together, so its a bit of a waiting game for when it happens, and if thats all they are waiting for, then it seems to take quite a while from when the movie starts until they finally get into the first tent scene.

Anyone I have come accross they say they "hate" the movie, are usually homophobes who havent even seen it.

I wonder what kind of reviews it would have received if Brokeback was a love story between a man and a woman?

[Brown Eyes]

There are some great old threads floating around here on BetterMost (probably some here on Open Forum and I'm sure some over in CT) all about what to do in response to "non-believers" and stories like the ones here about dealing with "strange" people who don't seem to get BBM.  It's best to find a way to (1) argue effectively and (2) laugh it off (or at least not let it get you down).

As BetterMostians and Brokeback lovers, I fear we'll probably have to deal with non-believers over and over again.

[starboardlight]

well, those reviews have been up on Netflix from way back. i remember the same kind of thread like this appearing at IMDB. It appears that so many people posted negative comments to discourage others from renting the film. Didn't work though.

btw, if anyone's got a netflix account, you should add your own review to help off set the negativity.

[Kazza]

There are some great old threads floating around here on BetterMost (probably some here on Open Forum and I'm sure some over in CT) all about what to do in response to "non-believers" and stories like the ones here about dealing with "strange" people who don't seem to get BBM.  It's best to find a way to (1) argue effectively and (2) laugh it off (or at least not let it get you down).

As BetterMostians and Brokeback lovers, I fear we'll probably have to deal with non-believers over and over again.

I love that phrase "non-believers", 'cos that's how it feels doesn't it. I've waxed lyrical to some friends about the film, but haven't wanted to overdo it because, to be honest, I don't think that everyone has this almost spiritual reaction to it. I mean, it's "just a film". There are film/books/albums that I love, but none has had anything like the effect that this has had on me, but there are people who simply don't feel that connection and it's very hard to explain.

I think I'm rambling now, so I'll stop...

Karen