Simply amazing.

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2008)

Amazing. Simply amazing. 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' is not a movie more than it is an experience. One that takes us to another place and time entirely. And folks, this is about as good as they come. A deliberate and methodical period piece, this is masterful storytelling on every level with a brilliant score to boot. A true American epic with gut-wrenching performances, 'Jesse James' is nothing short of an art form. It will transfix you, it will mesmerize you, it will haunt you.
Written and directed to perfection by Andrew Dominik, 'The Assassination of Jesse James' is filmed in the vast open lands of Canada. There's such a profound and unspoken beauty that reaches beyond the film with strokes of sweeping majesty. Words simply fail you as James walks peacefully through fields of grain, gracefully allowing his fingers to brush against the tall, delicate crops. Not unlike this year's heartbreaking 'Into the Wild', cinematographer Roger Deakins uses nature's sweet marvels to walk side-by-side with Jesse James in the telling one of America's greatest tales.
Coming in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, 'Jesse James' is a brilliantly rich and textured story. This is not a typical Western filled with gunslinging cowboys and tense shootouts, but that won't keep you from hanging on every twist and turn this film has to offer. And even though we already know the eventual outcome walking in to this film, it's the poetically layered story filled with fully realized characters that will keep you glued to your seat. Laced with such a detailed narration that seems to have been taken straight from the pages of the source novel, this legendary story stitched into the seams of American lore comes to life with that very same power.
Bolstering some of the year's strongest performances, one can't ignore Brad Pitt's piercing gaze that makes him a perfect candidate to transform into one of America's original celebrities. He's a man who has both everything and nothing, and a tight-knit group of comrades that is slowly but steadily ebbing away. As he becomes further isolated, his sense of reality slips away. Pitt's character transformation is subtle but profound, and certainly moving. But it is Casey Affleck's emotional performance as Robert Ford, the man who commits the fatal betrayal, who gives 'Jesse James' a hard-hitting punch to the gut with a downright dynamite performance. Yet another intense character study, Affleck takes us on a roller-coaster ride as the man who puts a bullet in the back of the man he once adored so much. How could a quiet, socially awkward young man who was never paid much attention pull off such an amazing feat? 'Jesse James' paints such a harrowing and tragic portrait of both men, one of the film's most redeeming and unforgettable qualities. Two of the best performances these two men can ever hope to deliver.
There's a lot to be said about 'The Assassination of Jessie James'. It's a film for the ages, an unforgettable masterpiece that exemplifies the very definition of perfection. It's achingly beautiful, and unlike anything you have ever seen or ever will see. It's a story that still captivates us, but while this American masterpiece follows no set path, there are many themes that seem more poignant today than ever before. Because I believe the central most theme that can be taken away from a film like this is in fact its study of celebrity status. The fame, the glory, the adoration. Our society's extreme fascination with stars that borders on obsession, it can't be healthy. And perhaps there are things we can take away from 'Jessie James', straight from the mouth of the coward himself. "He's just a human being," he tells us. "I was surprised by what happened. They didn't applaud." More reviews at rottentomatoes.com/vine/journal_view.php?journalid=219276&view=public