Rated: R
Starring: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider
Directed By: Andrew Dominik

• Official Site

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.

{mosgoogle right}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 film’s 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. It’s Robert’s 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 Pitt’s eyes and you knew it was time to be scared.

Even with Pitt’s 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 Robert’s finest moment.

This is director/writer Dominik’s 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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Kit   |2007-09-23 09:42:53 This was a great movie! And who wouldn't drool over Brad piTT and his slow, clear lines... Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."