Leaves you feeling empty.

Rating: Null/10 (10 September 2008)

This movie would seem to have everything going for it; a top cast that delivers uniformly fine acting, excellent writing and direction, all combined with stunning cinematography. So, why doesn't it work? That is the question I've been asking myself ever since the first viewing. ( A second look proved no more enlightening. ) It can't be the slow pace, as I have seen many films paced at least as leisurely as this one - ( "Eyes Wide Shut" springs to mind ) - that I have found spellbinding. The music doesn't help. Slow and lugubrious, it helps to create an oppressive atmosphere that never lets up. No, I believe the answer lies somewhere in the combination of these two elements; what I call the Ken Burns factor.
Simply put, "The Assassination of Jesse James" - fine as it is on many levels - is an ultimately depressing experience. Add to the mix the fact that Casey Affleck mumbles much of the time and key lines of dialogue are often unintelligible, and you are left with a major disappointment.