Great film

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 2012)

Pitt is outstanding, as are so many of the cast. It's a slow paced film, not the shoot'em up that some might expect, but I was immersed from start to finish. Admittedly I was marvelling at how fantastic it looked playing the blu-ray on my new TV, but even so there was very little not to like.
I know nothing about the actual history of these events, or the book upon which the film is based, so I cannot comment on it's accuracy or otherwise. But it drew me in completely. It is suspenseful in a fairly understated way, Pitt is menacing but human; his idoliser, Robert Ford, is complex and tragic. The supporting cast all put in strong performances.
Despite the fact that the (near) ending is already known, when it comes, it is mesmeric.
Some reviewers have commented that it is too long, perhaps I can see that the section immediately after Jesse's death which briefly covers the rest of Robert Ford's life could have been omitted, but actually the film is about him as much as it is about Jesse, and I wanted to know his fate. I am glad it was there.
The camera work and direction are stunning.
See it! And if you have access to HD then you'll really appreciate it.