The Review: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Rating: 10/10 (15 March 2008)

This film was ignored. Don't get me wrong; I think the Academy picked some great picks for their nominations, but they screwed this picture. How did this not win Best Cinematography? How did this not get a Nom for anything else? How did Juno get a damn Nom over this? (Not that Juno is bad).
'The Assassination of Jesse James' was a very exciting and moving film with beautiful cinematography, great acting, great script, and so much more. When the film starts out, it sets the tone immediately. The coloring; the music; everything about this film is all very well crafted to carry the movie to viewing bliss.
The color of the movie is constantly a blue/gray, like an overcast; no sun showing through the clouds. To boost the look, a heavy yet light score is added with rumbling bass hitting in beat. The best example of this is the scene when they rob a train. Jesse feels the tracks for vibrations, and as the train comes into the view, and we see the light peaking in through the trees, all sound dies, and all we hear is the score.
This film is great, and though it might not deserve winning Best Picture, it certainly deserved a nomination. Casey Affleck thoroughly deserved his nomination. He was very unsettling, and yet we felt bad for him, as we did with Jesse.
The movie doesn't make you choose who the 'Good Guy' is to root for, because in a sense, no one is good, but no one is bad.
This movie is highly recommended from me.
Rating: ***1/2 (of 4)
Entertainment: ***** (of 5)