A modern masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2013)

After going through a recent obsession of classic westerns, something odd nowadays for a teenager apparently, I bought The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford thinking it would be a nostalgic homage to western films of old like the brilliant Unforgiven. Instead, I was treated to a tense drama profiling the final days of America's famous train robber. I'm glad I made the mistake of picking up this film because it is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Casey Affleck defies his brother's reputation for abysmal acting talent (sorry but it's true) by pulling off a stellar performance as the creepy but likable character Robert Ford and Brad Pitt has one of his best performances as the troubled Jesse James. Both actors manage to cloud the audience's opinion subtly and slowly almost without you noticing until the film's over. A solid supporting cast of Sam Rockwell and Jeremy Renner manage good performances in the background without taking the attention away from the two leads. The only flaw I can find is that Casey Affleck can at times be too slimy for my liking but that's me personally more than anything else. Anyone who enjoys films and wants to see some career best performances should definitely make the time to watch this brilliant movie.