"Couldn't figure it out: do you want to be like me, or do you want to BE me?"

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2011)

Calling the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford beautiful would be an understatement. Calling the acting superb would be an understatement. Calling it a perfect film... would be an understatement. This is the powerful story about what it means to truly be a hero, and every aspect of it left me in awe once I was finished. But, this movie isn't for everyone. The story follows Robert Ford (Casey Afflick),a man whose obsession with Jesse James (Brad Pitt) goes back to his childhood, as he tries to join Jesse and his slowly deteriorating gang. Robert's idolization of Jesse slowly begins to change as the movie goes on as he realizes who Jesse James truly is. We watch as Jesse's sanity plummets, becoming paranoid of everyone around him and dancing on the edge of insanity. Before long, Robert loathes Jesse. Finally, fearing that Jesse's paranoia will lead to his own death, Robert assassinates Jesse (BIG spoiler...). Most people would sigh when they hear it's a film that clocks in at almost 2 hours and 40 minutes long. I will admit, it is a very long movie. Also, many people will watch this thinking that it's your classic western shoot em up, only to be horribly disappointed. It's true, there are very intense scenes of Jesse and his gang in the movie, but they are few and short. But the people who think the movie is too long and boring are missing the entire point of the film. The movie is about what it really means to be a hero. Robert's love for Jesse completely changes once he discovers what kind of man he really is. The people who say there are "too many boring scenes" fail to see what's REALLY going on. In each scene, we watch Jesse push himself farther and farther away from Robert, playing around with his emotions as if they were a toy. We feel empathy toward Robert's character, a man who only wants to be recognized by someone who he believes is almost like a god. The film reveals who we all truly are. The acting in the movie might be the best I've ever seen. Every action, down to facial expression, that Casey Afflick does makes us understand all the pain he goes through. We can almost feel the depression he goes through, and I'm amazed Casey didn't receive more recognition for the most powerful performance I've ever seen in a movie. Brad Pitt makes us hate Jesse through his performance, which is probably the best I've ever seen him do. Brad expresses Jesse's insanity perfectly, creating one of the best 'villains' out there. Sam Rockwell and Jeremy Renner are perfection, helping to shape the movie into a masterpiece. Some people will hate this movie. It's not full of action and it's long, but it still packs a punch. Most likely the best film I've ever seen, I recommend watching it to anyone who wants to watch more than just a movie.