Good....even great, but not exceptional.

Rating: 8/10 (14 October 2007)

Before my review, I'll admit that my reasons for seeing this film were shallow. I of course went to stare at Brad Pitt and because I really like two of the actresses who were thrown on the screen for a few seconds. Of course, I was given much more than I expected, since I really had no expectations (I find it dangerous to have any when you go see films lately).
I knew about the length. I had no issues with the length. I can't say the same for the guy snoring in front of me (I tried to wake him up by gently kicking the back of his seat...he was missing a great film folks!). I loved the pacing of the film actually (and not just because it makes my $8.50 seem more reasonable). The slow deliberation of the film was absolutely necessary for the times and the people it was studying.
The film itself was obviously beautiful...but nothing particularly special in my opinion. It simply reminded me of films like "Cold Mountain" or "Legends of the fall." Although I did love a few shots with the light on the hardwood floor and the scene where he gets shot. It was nice to look at, but was there anything new? Not really.
The cast was probably one of the films strongest points. First let me talk about the more supporting characters. Both Paul Schnieder and Sam Rockwell were awesome. It might just be that I already like them, but really they both gave a lot to their characters. I can't see the film without them. As I mentioned before I also really like MLP and Zooey, so my only complaint is how little they were used. In actuality it probably would not have been as good if their roles were any larger. The film was a study of two men and the world they lived in...I suppose it was right to accentuate the lack of women in their lives. It would have been a sellout to do anything else.
Okay, so Casey Affleck....is he that annoying in other roles, or just a really good actor? I can't say because I've never seen him otherwise. All I know is that he annoyed the snot out of me throughout the film, but in a good way. If that was the goal here, it worked! I was captivated by his acting and my annoyance. I'll have to see him in something else to give a final verdict on how good he is. I suspect that he might just be annoying, because I find the same with his brother.
Brad Pitt. I was kinda disappointed actually. I don't know if he's been type cast or maybe has just reached the peak of his acting abilities. To be honest, I'm kinda getting bored with Mr. Pitt. It seems to me that he was just sorta "there" in the film. They could have cast anyone else with a semi-big name and gotten the same needed effect. If they hand him an award for this role, I'll be really confused.
The writing and overall story telling were the absolute best features of the film! I saw this film and the new "Elizabeth" film on the same day. Of the two films that attempt to delve into the psyche of historical figures, this was by far the better film (of course the first "Elizabeth" was better than both). I was just thinking...maybe they could have cast Cate Blanchett as Jesse. I think it would have been the same. Haha. No seriously.
Anyhow, my final verdict is this: It was a good film, but not exceptional. I feel that we should expect work like this on a regular basis. Films like this should be the standard, not the exception.