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 Rated: R
Starring: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise
Parker, Paul Schneider
Directed By: Andrew Dominik
Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck unite with stirring
performances in Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Director Andrew Dominik helms the mesmerizing
drama surrounding one of the most notorious men in the Old West, and creates a
must-see for movie buffs.
Most people know at least some things about Jesse James
(Pitt), but not from the perspective of the killer. The film probes the private lives of both
Jesse and his proclaimed assassin, Robert Ford (Affleck).
Although history depicts Jesse as a
captivating notorious outlaw, according to this films plot, when it came to his
enemies, he was an impulsive killer.
In
the latter part of his criminal career, Jesse became suspicious of everyone
around him, thinking they would turn him in for reward or fame. One such man was a newcomer to his gang,
Robert Ford. Its Roberts story that we watch, and how he was able to get
close to Jesse, his admiration for the outlaw and his reason for the decision
to kill him.
Making
Jesse James a believable character is a challenging role, but it looked very
easy for Pitt. His slow and sometimes
chilling line delivery, made me think of Jesse as a cold blooded killer instead
of the Robin Hood outlaw I had grown up to revere. All you have to do is look into Pitts eyes
and you knew it was time to be scared.
Even with Pitts great performance, director Andrew Dominik needed
someone to carry the lead role of Robert Ford in order to make the film work. His choice of Casey Affleck for Robert was
dead on. Even though Affleck had a
reoccurring role in the Ocean's Eleven film series, his greatest performance I
believe comes with this film. Affleck blew me away as the kid who cunningly
gets Jesse to accept his help and allow him to join the gang, inching closer
and closer to what would eventually become Roberts finest moment.
This is
director/writer Dominiks first major film, and is so far his best ever. He puts his characters in some very
uncomfortable settings in order to show the dank reality of the old west, and
yet, gets amazing performances from the whole cast.
In one instance, most of the gang are sitting
in the woods talking about their next robbery.
The cold dampness of the setting mirrors the feelings of the robbers
giving the impression that each of them are anxious to get out of there to more
comfortable surroundings. Throughout the
film, Dominik recreates this time to move on feeling with his camera and
sets.
Although the film does not have a
lot of action, when it does come, it is harsh and brutal. In the beginning Dominik feeds us a morsel from
a bloody train robbery, and then makes us sit on the edge of our seat, waiting
for Jesse to find his traitors and blow them away.
FINAL
ANALYSIS: Outstanding performances, a challenging what if plot and awesome
cinematography are at the forefront of this film.
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