Starring: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Robert Duvall
Director: Andrew Dominik
(15), 159 mins, 2007, USA
What's the story?
Set back in the day when real men wore guns and spurs, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is based on the true story of, you guessed it, the assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford. Once you get over the fact that you know what's going to happen, what you get is a cowboy story that focuses more on characters and psychology, rather than gun slinging and train robberies (that which Jesse James is most famous for).
What's to like?
One thing that strikes you here is how beautifully shot and acted this film is. The atmosphere throughout is dark and tense and you get a real feeling of being out in the American mid west. Despite the lead being taken by the incredibly moody and dislikeable Brad Pitt, the real star here is Casey Affleck whose Bob Ford goes from admiration to insecurity with more seamless perfection than a Jesse James train robbery.
What's not to like?
Being a character piece rather than an all out action gunslinger (there is only one real moment of noisy gun fun), at two and a half hours it does drag along a bit. However it means you can lose your way a little with the complex relation between Jesse and Bob and you never quite get the full appreciation as to how cowardly Bob Ford is.
Verdict
A beautiful film with fantastic performances by all involved that is well worth seeing at the cinema, but be prepared for a protracted evening.
