Vastly Underrated

Rating: 8/10 (23 August 2009)

Pitt is pitch-perfect as the larger than life Jesse James, but is out-shined by Casey Affleck in his courageous, un-nerving performance of Robert Ford. Affleck more than deserved his Academy Award nomination, and I believe he would have won if the film had been more successful. I can only surmise that those disappointed with this film expected an action-oriented shoot'em up Western, and not a brooding character piece. The films slow pace may bore some viewers, but I enjoyed it. I compare it to a cross between a Terrence Malick film and Deadwood. The film doesn't glorify the west, instead it shows it as dirty and brutal. This is definitely one of Pitt's top performances. For those interested, I also recommend Bruce Springsteen's version of the classic song (title of the film).