Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Brokeback Got Me Good

Jake Gyllenhaal. Only a few days ago I didn’t know how to spell his surname. I do now without even thinking too much about it. He really took me by surprise…this time.


It was Brokeback Mountain. Of course it was Brokeback Mountain. I can’t remember buying the DVD, but I’m sure I have it for a few years now. I hadn’t seen it for a while though, even though it is one of my favourites (tearjerkers for bleak times).

It started with my waterbed; it leaks. I wanted to get it mended, but it seems that with the one leak more leaks started to come, so I don’t want to have it mended anymore, just get it rid of. I hadn’t yet and was still sleeping in it risking getting wet or at least moist and cold. That was the reason why I decided to make bed in the guestroom, or rather purple room again.

The last couple of days I’ve been suffering from stomach aches more often en sometimes far beyond comfort. So one Thursday (?) afternoon I decided to lay my head down in the purple room. As I did so I had a nice look at the lone bookshelf that carries all kind of small stuff and a small collection of small books. Of one of the books I couldn’t read the title on the back. Squinting my eyes I couldn’t get any further than “Twee…”. Two what!? I squinted some more without any luck. Eventually I got up and discovered it said “Twee Cowboys”. It was the book Brokeback Mountain translated into Ducth. I decided to dug out the DVD and watch the film again.

It took me several minutes to find the DVD even though I was looking in the right place. I could swear I had seen the DVD not too long ago in the small compartment of the DVD bench. Checking twice, three times and more didn’t find me the DVD. It frustrated me, cause I had set my heart on Brokeback Mountain for that evening. I shortly considered watching another Ang Lee movie, but my frustration kept me from picking that one up and I resumed searching for Brokeback Mountain. Only after taking out all DVD cases and studiyng them thoroughly I found what I was looking for.

I had seen the film many times before and I already knew the story from start to end and backwards, inside out and from back to front. Yet I got quite a surprise; I noticed Jake Gyllenhaal.

I know, I know, he’s in it quite a lot. How could I not have noticed him before? Well, Heath Ledger. That’s my answer. I think it’s quite self explainatory. And yet….

Ever since, I’m hooked. I have no idea why. When I look at him I can’t sum up why he attracted me…all of a sudden. He’s not ugly, definitely not, but he doesn’t have the beauty that attracts me. He’s also not the type I usually fall for. Not really geeky, not dumb but also not extremely intelligent or smart, not funny as I usually appreciate, though he can be funny, just not laughing out loud funny for me. And yet….

And yet, right now he’s all I’m thinking about.

Good actor, that he is. And what else? He seems balanced enough? Not sure the word is ‘balanced’. It’s not really ‘quiet’ either. ‘Sensible’ maybe? No, doesn’t quite ring true to me either. I think he is all that, in his own way, just not the way I would like to see. And yet….

I keep coming back to watching him, to listening to him, to searching for more about and from him.

What just happened?

Going to watch Brokeback Mountain again this evening? It would be the umpteenth time this week. What’s happening to me!?!?

I'm going to blame it on his parents. I remember being quite charmed by Jake's older sister Maggie a year or so ago. (Sort of fun fact: Didn't think much of Jake at that point) It must be his parents fault.

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