An unexpected beautifully crafted film with extraordinary acting

Rating: 9/10 (26 June 2008)

This superbly acted, intelligently written, and beautifully photographed film might be this year's sleeper. Less of a western and more of a haunting psychological drama painted with a discerning eye on a sweeping canvas. At moments it's pace seems slow but it is usually in the service of building up the layers of paint in each characters portrait. Casey Affleck's portrayal of Robert Ford was inspired. I very much enjoy when an actor can convey a complex series of thoughts and emotions with subtle facial inflections and body language. You read the character in their complexity without the distraction of words. The rest of the cast, including Brad Pitt, all delivered solid performances. This is one of the few films where the voice over narration was eloquent and insightful further rounding out the complex story of these fascinating characters. The film was also beautifully crafted visually, the camera is never just a passive recording device but rather a brush artfully painting the story. I couldn't help but feel this was a labor of love by writer and director Andrew Dominik.
I originally rented this movie not expecting much, rather to escape with a western for a few hours. But instead I got so much more and was so pleased at my unanticipated good fortune. I haven't heard many others talk about this film and it's a shame as it seems to have fallen under the radar for some reason. It's worth seeing, which is why it seems destined to be a sleeper, just waiting for others to discover it's merits.