The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
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Movie Reviews of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Movie Review: Artistic but a big yawn
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm just an ordinary person not a movie critic and I've seen the rave reviews on this movie but it didn't quite impress me. The movie is very artistically done and character portrayal is excellent but the scenes just dragged on that I actually fell asleep every now and then. I think it was too long for a movie that everyone already knows what the ending is. Even the title is too long. I've also never seen Jesse James portrayed as some kind of neurotic and that it is a surprise to me. Movie Review: A Great Throwback To Those '60's and '70's Westerns
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is an unexpected masterpiece, a great throwback to those wonderful existential Westerns of the 1960's and 1970's like The Wild Bunch - The Original Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) and The Outlaw Josey Wales. The film approaches its subject deliberately and lulls you into its thoughtful rhythms, all the more to shock you when its explosions come. The film also recalls Unforgiven [HD DVD] in its examination of violence and the darker impulses of human psychology. Brad Pitt plays another one of his charismatic madmen, but very few actors are able to contain both the charm and the psychosis as well as Pitt. The author of the novel The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford which this film was based on, Ron Hansen, is a serious Catholic. So this film is a painfully honest portrait of a damned soul, one that is rotting from the inside out because of the bad choices he has made.
As great as Pitt is, the real revelation here is Casey Affleck as the coward Robert Ford (who is destined to always be known by that adjective.) You see Ford's scheming, his resemblance to latter day creeps like those that killed John Lennon and tried to kill Reagan. But we're reminded that he was a very young and immature man, and sometimes the greatest curse is to be rewarded with the kind of fame you seek at that age. I suppose you could also compare this movie to those by the great Terrence Malick. If you will adjust your expectations from the frantic pace of today's other movies, and give yourself to the almost literary storytelling, you will have a great movie experience. It does kill me that there is such a lack of special features on this disc. Supposedly there is an even longer version out there. Something has to explain why the terrific Mary-Louise Parker appears in so few scenes. So let's hope that more of the film is restored in future editions.
Movie Review: 2 hours and 40 minutes of perfection
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this movie. From the performances to the cinematography to the timing to the direction to the music, it's emotional and cerebral.
It seems to me that it perfectly captures the feelings of being tired. Tired of running. Tired of being a nobody. If this is what a Western can be in the 21st Century then by all means, make more of them. There are no good and bad archetypes here. There's no blind patriotism tipping a white hat to a nation's mythological past. These are characters treated like real people. It's even funny. Several people each have a few lines that make me laugh every time I see the movie. Great timing.
Everything comes together into a really emotional whole. I wouldn't change a thing... well, except the song in the saloon but even that is maybe 2 minutes so it's easily overlooked. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shines like Bob's nickel-plated revolver.
Movie Review: Too much storytelling
Summary: 2 Stars
I recently rented this movie thinking I was going to see a little suspense and western culture, instead what I got was sleepy. The movie moves too slowly to keep any interest and the constant narrative does not help almost each scene is narrated which takes away any of the suspense between Ford and James. If the director knew how to make a captivating movie, he would have cut out all that narrative and instead told a story through actions, not through words. Casey Affleck's performance as Robert Ford is very good but it is not enough to save this movie from being pretty boring.Movie Review: The Journey
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an interesting tale. Though it really goes out of its way to portray Robert Ford as a sycophant and cowardly weasel, it doesn't do much for Jesse James either. James is portrayed as a man of extreme charm and anger. It doesn't portray him as a southern man fighting against the union, but as a man who wants to rob and steal. Pitt does a really good job in a complex role that has him swingingly widely in emotion. Casey Affleck keeps pace with him in a role perfect for him. Yes, I think the film could have been trimmed just a bit so it would be a faster ride for those who don't appreciate a tale slowly unwinding. Still, if you can appreciate the scenery, there are some gorgeous shots in this movie. This is a good modern western.