'Brokeback Mountain' breaks blockbuster dominance

Ang Lee's brilliant western knocks 'King Kong' from the top spot at the London box office.

Jan 11 2006

Ang Lee's critically acclaimed 'Brokeback Mountain' was a massive hit in London cinemas over the weekend, opening at number one with a massive £306,725 haul.

The well-received western, which stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two cowboys who embark on a doomed love affair, is favourite to pick up a plethora of high-profile awards over the next few weeks, so expect it to keep the multiplexes full for the foreseeable future.

It was also a good weekend for Woody Allen, whose new thriller 'Match Point' gave him his biggest opening weekend in years.

The arrival of such cerebral fare pushed big budget blockbusters 'King Kong' and 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' to positions three and four respectively.

The only other new entry was uninspired Ryan Reynolds comedy 'Just Friends' at number five, while Harry Potter looks to be on his last legs, with 'Goblet of Fire' dropping from five to ten after eight weeks on the chart.

Next week, expect Sam Mendes' controversial war film 'Jarhead' to open big, while Neil Jordan's comedy drama 'Breakfast on Pluto' should also do well.