The Assassination of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford (15.)
Directed by Andrew Dominik.
Starring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Sam Shepherd. 160 mins
A long winded, pretentious title for a long winded, pretentious western? Maybe, but an absolutely magnificent long winded, pretentious western. If this year has taught us anything it’s that people are desperate to like westerns. How else to explain the enthusiasm for such poor efforts as 3.10 to Yuma and Seraphim Falls? Good things come to those that wait and as the year approaches its end there arrives a very, very good, possibly even great, western.
Charting the final year of his life, from the last train robbery to being gunned down in his own home, the film reveals life in the James gang to be akin to that of life in the cabinet of a demented dictator. A compelling combination of charisma and paranoia, Pitt’s Jesse James is possibly his finest screen performance.
Ford is portrayed as the first celebrity stalker, a devoted fan obsessed with misperceived similarities with the legendary outlaw and Casey Affleck plays him as a mesmerising mix of simpleton and cunning operator. It’s been an odd career for the Lesser Affleck, all those years making up the numbers in Ocean’s film, stuck in there as a favour to a friend, but suddenly he’s leapt forth in his own right.
It’s not just the two leads; this may be one of the strongest casts of the year. Everybody makes their mark from Sam Shepherd as James’s older brother who drifts out of the film early, to Zooey Deschanel who turns up late on as a companion to Ford. (It even has political consultant James Carville, the man who organised Clinton’s Presidential campaign, in to do a very good turn as a State Governor.)
An epic sweep, poetic narration; the almost too precious beauty of the imagery; the shots of James walking moodily through the fields letting his hands brush against the wheat; the bum numbing running time – no doubt some will dismiss it as boring and lacking in action. But it is surprisingly gripping for a foregone conclusion. It may be long and relatively slow paced but there isn’t a single slack or indulgent moment.
Australian Director Andrew Dominik made his name (and that of Eric Bana) with debut Chopper seemingly ages ago. I wondered what he’d done since then and prior to this and the answer is nothing. It seems like he’s been working on this for close to seven years. Aided by Roger Deakins’ utterly beautiful wintry cinematography, he’s taken his shot at greatness and has come close to a clean kill.
Directed by Andrew Dominik.
Starring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Sam Shepherd. 160 mins
A long winded, pretentious title for a long winded, pretentious western? Maybe, but an absolutely magnificent long winded, pretentious western. If this year has taught us anything it’s that people are desperate to like westerns. How else to explain the enthusiasm for such poor efforts as 3.10 to Yuma and Seraphim Falls? Good things come to those that wait and as the year approaches its end there arrives a very, very good, possibly even great, western.
Charting the final year of his life, from the last train robbery to being gunned down in his own home, the film reveals life in the James gang to be akin to that of life in the cabinet of a demented dictator. A compelling combination of charisma and paranoia, Pitt’s Jesse James is possibly his finest screen performance.
Ford is portrayed as the first celebrity stalker, a devoted fan obsessed with misperceived similarities with the legendary outlaw and Casey Affleck plays him as a mesmerising mix of simpleton and cunning operator. It’s been an odd career for the Lesser Affleck, all those years making up the numbers in Ocean’s film, stuck in there as a favour to a friend, but suddenly he’s leapt forth in his own right.
It’s not just the two leads; this may be one of the strongest casts of the year. Everybody makes their mark from Sam Shepherd as James’s older brother who drifts out of the film early, to Zooey Deschanel who turns up late on as a companion to Ford. (It even has political consultant James Carville, the man who organised Clinton’s Presidential campaign, in to do a very good turn as a State Governor.)
An epic sweep, poetic narration; the almost too precious beauty of the imagery; the shots of James walking moodily through the fields letting his hands brush against the wheat; the bum numbing running time – no doubt some will dismiss it as boring and lacking in action. But it is surprisingly gripping for a foregone conclusion. It may be long and relatively slow paced but there isn’t a single slack or indulgent moment.
Australian Director Andrew Dominik made his name (and that of Eric Bana) with debut Chopper seemingly ages ago. I wondered what he’d done since then and prior to this and the answer is nothing. It seems like he’s been working on this for close to seven years. Aided by Roger Deakins’ utterly beautiful wintry cinematography, he’s taken his shot at greatness and has come close to a clean kill.
