The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I won’t even mention the title here, as half of my review would consist of its various word forms :D ... This poetic western has a very slow start and minimal shootouts, but the film makes up for it with its meticulous development of characters and their motivations. It beautifully plays with each shot (Roger Deakins's signature style is unmistakable), presenting the viewer with a visual gem of the genre. And, of course, besides everything else, there's the excellent Brad Pitt as James and the outstanding Casey Affleck as Ford. The younger Affleck brother delivers an acting tour de force, with every moment finely tuned during the intense dialogues between him and Pitt. I understand that such an artistically crafted Western isn’t for every mainstream viewer. I certainly didn’t mind the established style, as I got used to it, but I was a bit disappointed that there weren’t more action-packed sequences. However, for those who enjoy gradual tension building, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I give it 81%. (22/08/2019)

An artistic western is a combination that I would consider an oxymoron more than anything else. This movie did not disprove that for me. The comparison to Terrence Malick is quite fitting, as the pace is similar. Yes, there's a lot hidden beneath the surface, and it's certainly a gem, as some say. I just feel that the creators wanted to make something out of the western genre that it isn't, so they didn't really make a western at all, but rather an artistic biography with subtext. It is simply impossible to talk about tension here. I don't understand Dominik's view of the world, and frankly, I have no desire to. I imagine that the original novel is more interesting. (25/03/2014)

Perfect in every moment. The film is of a similar vein as Malick's The New World – poetic cinematography, no rush, a story that flows very slowly and gives the great performances of the protagonists space to shine through. In Casey Affleck's case, I feel that maybe he was born to play Bob Ford. A perfect prototype of a down-to-earth little rat without a shred of charisma (in appearance, speech, gesticulation), who tries to match his bandit idol, but it’s clear that he is not up to it. At the same time, however, he arouses ambivalent feelings, partly you strongly dislike him, partly you pity him and even understand him a little. Affleck's performance was so mesmerizing that it almost overshadowed Pitt himself. He plays everything with the power of his personality, he doesn't have to try too hard, it’s enough that he "is", one probing gaze can bring you to your knees. His Jesse James is a perfectly unreadable character who hides behind a stoic, calm and animalistic brute who can blow your head off and not even blink. I have no hesitation in writing that I saw Pitt give the best performance of his career here. There are no fireworks, the film is more of an emotional affair, and if you are into MTV and believe Transformers is the best movie you’ve ever seen, do not bother with this one. For me personally, the best western in years, where every scene has a solid place and where the editor's scissors should be hidden deep in a drawer for once. PS: After 6 unsuccessful nominations, it's really time for that Oscar, Roger Deakins. (02/02/2008)

A slow, but smoothly told story of fate, in which you know the end of all the characters the moment they are introduced at the beginning as a bunch of primitive rednecks hungry for money. Dominik's direction, coupled with Deakins' cinematography, has an almost hypnotic effect, and the film rides (thanks also to Nick Cave’s score) on a wave of feeling rather than shaking the colts damnably low. Pitt acts "only" by constantly pitying them and Affleck's slimy rat - you hate, you understand, and on and on. Either way, he’s the one who owns this film. It’s too bad the director isn't as good at creating relationships between the characters (briskness) as he is at atmosphere because then it would have been brilliant. This way it stayed just below the higher review scores. (02/02/2009)

It’s been a long time since I first saw this movie. Back then, I hadn’t yet been exposed to all the best western movies and so I rated it three stars. But now I thought that this movie couldn’t have been so bad and so I’ve risked watching the 153 minutes again. At that point, I minded the overly lengthy watch time once again, but I enjoyed the Pitt vs Affleck acting performances so much more. I was also enjoying the movie’s atmosphere along with the story itself and the best thing about it was the music by Nick Cave who had a few cameos himself. This movie is very original. I get the differing opinions: either you like it a lot or not. Either you respect its originality or not. At first I just respected it, but now I have to say that as far as cinematography goes, I enjoyed some of the moments a whole lot as well. (13/07/2014)