Last year's sleeper

Rating: 9/10 (11 September 2008)

Inasmuch as Robert Ford, this movie feels like it was destined for great things. It truly is a pity it did not garnered more audience, for it truly is an epic. The story is quite complex but also gripping, the characters are simply fabulous, each and every one of them, as for the cinematography, well... the Academy got it right: it is quite the achievement. Also there are so many little details thrown at various points in the movie that, when added up, make for perfect cohesion and reward an attentive viewer.
So, what can be interesting about a movie whose ending is predicted in the title? We already know what's going to happen, but the way we get there is so rich that at certain points we almost feel like Jesse James won't really die. And in a way, he doesn't, as the end of the movie shows. Regardless, this just goes to show that Hollywood is getting more and more on the right track to making good - but also entertaining - movies: focus on the story and characters people, that's all you need. Speaking of characters, Pitt and Affleck are both highlights, each in their own right. Pitt manages to completely submerge in his role: he's one mean, loving, vicious, conflicted Jesse James. Affleck has a certain thing - that I've seen in Gone Baby Gone - that makes him truly captivating in any role.
But the one thing that really turns this movie into something special is the cinematography. Whether it's the stereoscope view, the nature shots or some specific scene like the train robbery scene, it all makes it worth wile your viewing, even if you're not a Western fan. For truly, this is a Western in it's purest tradition. One that's classic and modern at the same time. The story, the people, the music, everything fits perfectly in this underrated jam.