Even great acting cannot rescue this confusing bore

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2008)

This film is about a notorious outlaw named Jesse James back in 1800's, and his young admirer.
I had high hopes for this movie, due to the Oscar nominations and the high ratings on IMDb. Yes, Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck give great performances, but I was utterly disappointed after watching it. I felt I have completely wasted 2.5 hours of my life.
The plot is highly confusing. It's so hard to follow who is who, who does what and why do they do the things they do. There seems to be no explanation as to why they kill each other in the film. The pacing is so slow, there is so little action in the film, all they do is talk. Even after Jesse James died, the film stretches on and on. Zooey Deschanel receives a mention in the production notes in the film despite her role being a 30 second role in the film? I just don't understand this film.