The key shot in Brokeback Mountain comes early in the film, before the two ill-fated lovers ever act on their impulses, or indeed before one of them even realizes that he has such an impulse. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), one of two 19 year-old men tending sheep on a Wyoming mountain, is bathing himself […]

It’s a fool’s gambit to declare “The Best Film of the Year” in August. Just, really, really stupid. The studios never release the good stuff before Thanksgiving. Remember 2003, when every watchable film of the year was released after mid-December? Never a good idea to start “best of” lists before January. That said, Jim Jarmusch’s […]