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: 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.Movie Review: ANDREW DOMINIK, OPUS 2
Summary: 5 Stars
***** 2007. Based on Ron Hansen's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and written and directed by the New Zealander director Andrew Dominik. Two nominations for the Academy awards and a prize in Venice. I feel very sorry for the reviewers here who found this motion picture long and boring. They just chose the wrong movie for their saturday night and they still have a long way to go to appreciate films as an art manifestation. As for the film itself, it's undoubtedly a masterpiece. I liked the way the director described life in the West then and also the strange relation that related Jesse James and Robert Ford. If you are curious, take the time to see how another great director, Samuel Fuller, handled the same theme in 1949 in I SHOT JESSE JAMES Eclipse Series 5 - The First Films of Samuel Fuller (The Baron of Arizona / I Shot Jesse James / The Steel Helmet) (Criterion Collection). You'll be surprised how Fuller's sensibility announces Robert Ford's portrayal by Andrew Dominik. A DVD zone your library.Movie Review: The Greatest Western Ever Made : "Jesse James" is a Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Just gorgeous. Watching this with near-zero expectations, I was at first intrigued and then blown away by the sheer mastery the director had over his subjects. And the cinematography! Rarely has a Western won so much universal acclaim, and the only downside to this gem is that it takes a while to get into things, and the slow pace may not win it any new viewers. Still, if you persevere, you will be rewarded with a rich and darkly textured real-life story that is gripping, and most importantly, rewatchable.
When I buy a DVD, I need to know that I will watch it again. This is perhaps my first criterion when I choose something to purchase. How many discs do you have in your collection that you paid full retail for, but then never cared to watch again? Exactly. I bought this with the same `impulse purchase' mentality that fuels so many of our ridiculous shopping decisions, but at least I had based it on some really good reviews I'd read (Roger Ebert's was the one that swayed me the most). What a great investment. This film has zoomed to my list of Top 10 Greatest Films of all Time, and I can't think of a single film since "Mulholland Drive" this decade that I can watch over and over again without ever getting bored.
Bradley Pitt turns in a career-defining performance, but it is difficult again here to separate the man from the character. Jesse James is supposed to be 34 years old (the film chronicles his final year of life before being shot in the back by Bob Ford). If you do your research, you'll find that the real Jesse James was, like Pitt, a rare specimen of human beauty (which also no doubt helped him become an ever bigger legend), but its impossible for a second to buy Pitt as a man in his early thirties (he looks his age in this film, which is about 45). Casey Affleck, who in real life is around 33, plays a 19 year old. The discrepancy in the age of the characters versus the actual actors really shows - but if you can get past this minor quibble, it all works.
The greatest thing about this film is the cinematography. Never has a Western looked this gorgeous. Forget the brilliance of "Unforgiven" or even those bleak shots in "Brokeback Mountain". This film soars far above those classics and rewrites the rules for the way a Western should look. Take it from me. I am no fan of the genre, but this film turned me around. In part its because it doesn't work as a straight-out Western, and is more character driven, and the dialog is certainly `set in the times'.
It's a pity that this perfect example of superb film-making will never get a huge audience. At the very least it deserves to be a cult classic (which I believe it is). Its also a film to OWN and not rent. If at all you are reading this review to make a purchasing decision, then I urge you to order this right away. Finally a film worth the hype.
Five Stars. A Certified Masterpiece.