Weekend Recap - Brokeback Mountain Review//EDIT: 4:16 p.m. - Things are finally under control and I have time to update properly! 
It wouldn't be a Monday morning without some drama. But more on that later.
I had a really good weekend. Friday night the admin staff got together at the home of one of our colleagues and had a Christmas potluck dinner. It was a nice way to end the week at work... not that it was a stressful one.  We ate, drank, listened to Christmassy music, and then parted company at around 9 p.m. 
Saturday after I finished up at the gym I went out with Sonia and Oscar for the afternoon to look for a sofa set for their apartment. Three hours later we came to the conclusion that they were better off waiting until the new year and had moved into their new place before buying more furniture. So I went home, relaxed a bit, and then Peter came over. We had planned to watch Brokeback Mountain on Saturday night, but instead we ended up taking a nap from which we woke from at 9 p.m. So the rest of the night we just spent cuddling on the couch watching TV. I'm big on cuddling, and we don't get to do it as often as I'd like, so I'm not going to complain about doing nothing on a Saturday night because technically we didn't do nothing. (Holy double negatives Batman! )
Sunday I had a half-assed workout at the gym before meeting up with Peter. I got tickets to Brokeback Mountain for 3:10 p.m. so we met up, grabbed a something light and headed to the theatre just before 3 p.m. In hindsight I should have grabbed my pita to go instead of eating at the restaurant because by the time we got to the theatre, the place was packed and so Peter and I had to sit in the second row. Thankfully the screen wasn't too big, so I wasn't too uncomfortable watching the movie.
The movie itself was really good. At first I was a bit worried that Peter would fall asleep during the film since he's not a big fan of dramas, but he managed to stay awake throughout the whole thing and actually liked it!  I thought it was very well done and included a lot of elements and details that made the story both believable and captivating. Parts of the movie moved very fast (Which is to be expected when you condense 20 years into just over 2 hours) and other parts didn't seem to fit into the story, like the Thanksgiving dinner at Jack's home. The "love" scenes between Ennis and Jack were really rough and somewhat stilted at times, so the passion that the men shared for each other appeared somewhat forced. (I guess that's what happens when you get two straight men to play gay characters and then make them act as if they are attracted to one another.) There was one tender moment that appeared authentic when Heath Ledger was holding Jake from behind in a warm embrace, as seen in the picture. The two of them were smiling and it was at that moment that you could sense the love between the two men. 
There are already a multitude of reviews and comments that people have made about this movie so I won't go on too much about it. (There are plenty of reviews on Xanga alone!) I definitely recommend it, but be prepared to be depressed. It's a beautiful but sad story.
Watching this movie made me realize just how far we have come in terms of gay rights and the acceptance of homosexuality, both on screen and in society. I feel lucky because unlike the characters in the movie, I can freely express my love for Peter without fearing for my life. I won't be shunned by society because I love another man. I am protected by laws from those who feel it is acceptable to beat or kill a person for loving someone who happens to be of the same sex. And I have the right to get married and live the rest of my life with someone I love, not someone I "should" be with. After watching the movie, I appreciated the fact that I could hold Peter's hand in public and walk down the street with my baby that much more.
After watching the movie Peter and I went to Il Fornello to have dinner with friends. I had an awesome time. Visit Peter's site for pictures and a recap of the rest of the evening.
Countdown: 6 days to go! Woohoo! | 
