The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) 5/10
The plot of the film is spelled out in the title. Brad Pitt plays Jesse James; Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford. Like its needlessly long title, the film is a bloated and meandering tale that has sparks of brilliance but watching it will really test your patience. Technically, the film is top notch- beautiful vistas complemented by a haunting soundtrack. As for performances, Brad Pitt gives a maniacal and charismatic potrayal of the infamous outlaw, while Casey Affleck puts in yet another memorable performance. 2007 has been a good year for Casey, with his performances as Robert Ford as well as in Gone Baby Gone establishing him as someone to watch out for.
However, the film is very, very slow. It is really in the last half hour or so of the film that it really shines. In between, there are bits of brilliance but this is often overshadowed by the glacial pacing. The average film-goer will probably be totally bored and even arthouse film lovers will have their patience tested. Jesse James is technically impeccable and boasts of impressive performances, but all this counts for naught when the film is so damn boring.
