Picturenose

Angst Lee
There’s always one, isn’t there? Well, this ever-so ‘umble critic is putting his reputation on the line - Brokeback Mountain really isn’t quite as good as everyone else seems to believe. There, I’ve said it. Accusations of hard-heartedness may follow, but that doesn’t change the fact that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) director Ang Lee’s simplistic, overindulgent work is little more than a competently made ode to nature and male-bonding.

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I don’t like musicals. Really, I don’t. Many people seem to find this in some way strange, or an attempt to try to appear mildly controversial. Let’s face it, if I were trying to be contrary, I could certainly come up with something a little more hard-hitting than that. Nope, I just find them boring and nonsensical. As I am writing this for probably the best film site in the entire known universe, it’d be a good bet I like films - I do. I also like music in many of its shapes and forms. Put them together and I’d sooner stick knitting needles in my face than watch the result.

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Lust for strife

Fast making a name for himself as one of the greatest living directors, Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain (2005), The Ice Storm (1997)) has once again set the screen on fire with his latest, a beautifully shot, savagely sexual look at the hunter and prey, betrayer and betrayed, and how easily such roles can switch.

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