The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a gripping 2007 Western/Drama starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck as the title characters. Those looking for a traditional western may be a bit disappointed, as this is really a character study of the title characters and the events that lead up to and follow the act alluded to in the title. Pitt is mesmerizing as the aging James, hunted everywhere he goes. With a large reward for his capture, James has become paranoid in the extreme and sees betrayal in the eyes of nearly every person in his life. This has made him cruel, dangerous, and unpredictable. Affleck is a revelation as Robert Ford. His gradual transformation over the course of the film that leads to his murderous act is believable and at times painful to watch. Ford starts off idolizing James, his only ambition to be one of his gang. As the story develops we see Ford's somewhat unhealthy obsession with James, as his idolization turns to resentment, as his boyhood hero fails to live up to his expectations. Both Affleck and Pitt portray their characters with the right amounts of humanity, allowing you to alternate between sympathy and disgust at their actions. The film also has a fantastic supporting cast including Mary-Louise Parker and Sam Rockwell. Perhaps the only drawback to this gripping drama is that, like its title, the film runs a little long at 2 hours and 40 minutes, but this really should not deter one from checking out this fantastic film.
Available on DVD from Amazon
, Netflix or wherever you get your movies from (I like the library).Trailer:
