by The Film Blogger

Created on: September 04, 2009

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, aside from being a mouthful, is one of the stranger pictures of 2007, spinning an art house twist on the tale of Jesse James, and his assassination by the "coward" Robert Ford.

Whilst there was little doubt that Brad Pitt would make the role of Jesse James his own, the film marks a breakthrough role for Casey Affleck, who received much acclaim, as well as an Academy Award nomination for his turn as Robert Ford. Andrew Dominik's film by no means passes with flying colours, yet its greatest success is in allowing Affleck to come crashing through the glass ceiling. In pictures such as this, and as the recent Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has cemented himself as an actor to watch for years to come.

The film quickly establishes itself as a meditative, contemplative piece. Many a time Dominik will linger on glass-eyed shots of our protagonist, or focus on him standing in a lush environment. Such moments are entirely visually arresting, yet there are times early in the picture where it feels that things should move along faster than they do. There must be a sense of balance between artistic integrity and schooled storytelling in order for any film to succeed, and this is one of the arguments for where the picture falls short.

The film's premise is little more complex than its wordy title; the young, wet around the ears, overzealous Robert Ford chances upon Jesse James and hangs around with him for a while, even assisting him and his ragtag team in completing a train robbery. It is clear that Ford means well, yet he is nervous to the point of irritating, in what is a testament both to Affleck's acting, and the patience of Jesse James.

There is something of a minor genius within the film's title - the fact that we know from the outset what happens causes us to constantly ponder quite what causes Ford's relationship with James to change tides so violently. Ford is, for all intents and purposes, a well-meaning lad, although clearly oversensitive and perhaps not cut out for this line of work. What throws him off balance, or what does James do to cause such a rift? The film doesn't focus on their interactions in any great detail for the film's majority, and in fact, Ford and James spend many of their scenes apart. This approach doesn't make for the most enthralling film, yet the wonder of how it is all going to end drags us to the finishing line. If anything, it is that mystery which keeps us watching through the long strings

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>