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Monday, April 4, 2011

Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Taking place in the last two years of his life, the film's prolonged title says it all. The story of the killing of Jesse James (Brad Pitt) by Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). Based on the 1983 novel by Ron Hansen and superbly directed by Andrew Dominik (who also did the screenplay), this is one of the great American westerns. It's not your standard shoot 'em up western, in fact, we see only one robbery by the James gang during its 2 hours, 40 minutes running time. The film examines the complex and conflicted relationship between Jesse James and the man who would eventually shoot him in the back. Ford's almost childlike hero worship of James which slowly dissolves into something fearful and sinister and what seems like James' eventual resignation to his fate. Dominik takes his time to let the story unfold and there's an elegiac mood and tone that infuses the film. Pitt as James gives what may be his best performance yet but the film belongs to Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. Affleck is a limited actor but he fits the role like a snug glove. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is stunning, each frame like a postcard lifted from an 1880s photo album and there's a somber but perfect score courtesy of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. With Mary Louise Parker, Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, Sam Shepard, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Parks, Alison Elliott, James Carville and Paul Schneider.

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