Hauntingly beautiful, subtle and engrossing.

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2008)

This is one of those rare movies that takes on a life of it's own. The cinematography & direction transcend average competence to blend seamlessly with the script, adding textures and moods as rich as any novelist's prose.
The cast is excellent. Brad Pitt is in familiar territory as the charismatic but treacherous Jesse James. Casey Affleck delivers a very complex and courageous performance in the not so flattering part of the coward Robert Ford. Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell and Jeremy Renner round out a rock-solid lineup.
An action thriller this is not. The plot is very unhurried, but with a bit of patience, you will be rewarded with a complex and fascinating tale. This is one of the most sumptuous-looking, natural-feeling movies I have ever seen.