The Bottom Line: ‘Jarhead’ Jake’s on a ‘Mountain’ High

What happens on Brokeback Mountain, stays on Brokeback Mountain.

And that means another notch in the belt for Jake Gyllenhaal, who’s already dazzled us this year by stealing Proof from Gwyneth Paltrow and fighting desert fatigue in Jarhead. With Brokeback Mountain, Maggie’s younger brother finally proves why he’s slowly but surely emerged as one of the most compelling actors of his generation.

In director Ang Lee’s intimate romance, 1960s-era cowboys Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger inexplicably fall in love while herding sheep on Wyoming’s Brokeback Mountain. But these macho Marlboro Men fail to follow their hearts, causing nothing but pain and suffering for them and their families.

Ledger’s garnering much attention for his quiet but exquisite performance, which should revive his stalled career. But it is Gyllenhaal who generates whatever passion and intensity that’s found in Brokeback Mountain. Like Proof, Brokeback Mountain is terribly slow and uninvolving. And Lee goes to so much trouble to avoid being sentimental and manipulative that Brokeback Mountain lacks the emotional punch to move us to tears.

Unlike Proof, Brokeback Mountain arrives with much hype and plenty of Oscar buzz thanks to its Best Picture win at the Venice International Film Festival. And that means Brokeback Mountain should overcome any audience apprehensions about its subject matter and break free of the art house circuit, which Proof failed to do.

Regardless, Proof, Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain serve as eye-openers to those who only recall Gyllenhaal weathering the elements in The Day After Tomorrow.

Since making his starring debut in 1999’s heartfelt October Sky, the 25-year-old Gyllenhaal’s quietly offered some of the most thoughtful and poignant performances delivered by any actor of his age. Still, few saw Lovely & Amazing or Moonlight Mile, the delightfully confounding Donnie Darko attained cult status after it hit DVD and enthralled British audiences, and Highway failed to make it into theaters. And Jennifer Aniston received all the glory for The Good Girl.

With the exception of the quirky road trip Bubble Boy, Gyllenhaal obviously shied away from anything that vaguely smacked as crass commercialism until The Day After Tomorrow. He seemed more intrigued by dramatic or comic explorations of the human condition. And more power to him. He’s not relied on his brooding good looks to get to where he is today. So he’s reaping the rewards for holding his own against Chris Cooper (October Sky), Dustin Hoffman (Moonlight Mile) and Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow). And for playing toy boys forAniston (The Good Girl) and Catherine Keener (Lovely & Amazing).

You can’t blame Gyllenhaal for enduring The Day After Tomorrow, or trying to land Spider-Man 2 when a dispute with Sony Pictures almost cost Tobey Maguire his role of Peter Parker. After doing things pretty much his way, Gyllenhaal needed one surefire blockbuster to get Hollywood’s full attention. And it worked.

The Bottom Line

Whatever their dramatic flaws, Proof, Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain are three terrific high-profile acting showcases for Gyllenhaal. He’s done things his way for so long, and as demonstrated by this year’s three noble efforts and hopefully next year’s David Fincher-directed thriller Zodiac, he should continue to do things his way.