Missouri, 1881. Despite revering the enigmatic Jesse James (Brad Pitt) since childhood, nineteen year old Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) becomes increasingly resentful as his continued attempts to join his idol’s gang are rebuked. So resentful in fact that he makes good on the film’s title.
Adapted from the book of the same name by Ron Hansen, this is a careful examination of the legend behind the most famous Western outlaw of all time.
They say:
Empire: "An extraordinary and visionary study of a legendary murderer’s famous fate, within touching distance of Oscars."
MTV: "If I were inclined to wheel out clichés like "Oscar worthy," I'd certainly wheel them out in support of this movie, on several counts."
Rolling Stone: "Pitt is built to reveal Jesse as the tabloid celeb of his day."
We say:
As the opening minutes of The Assassination of Jesse James unfold, Brad Pitt drifts into frame and you start wondering about charisma above talent.
Pitt is just an actor, but celebrity deems him a myth. James was just an opportunist bottom feeder whom history deemed a legend - both represent a lie they never even perpetrated.
Throughout this wistful story you can tell Pitt is performing - his precise mannerisms and distinctively modern face are too unambiguous to believe in. Yet you cannot fault his efforts. Pitt’s credibility may be limited by his own physical characteristics, but he never sleepwalks. The impression here is that he really understood the role.
Casey Affleck is consistent and frequently superior as Robert Ford. Peevish and childlike, he's the true coward of the film's title.
There is not much to like about Ford. Your emotions are torn between a thug, a bully and a nerd - and you might find yourself struggling to warm to such an unappealing character. Arguably this is the point. It seems that if you were not dumb back then you were certainly wicked.
This is Andrew Dominik’s second film as director/ writer after Chopper. While his first was cold and blackly amusing, there is little to laugh at with The Assassination of Jesse James.
Dominik’s Missouri is a mercilessly bleak place for its inhabitants - they have nothing more to achieve than notoriety. Having evidently adapted his directorial style from the US independents of the 1970s, the result has a dreamlike, almost supernatural air. Alas, it takes a good hour of wandering to get anywhere.
Despite its differing tone and an age gap of 38 years, this film has something in common with Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. Both are stories from the end of the road, both feature death as a metaphor for change. Yet here it is whimsy instead of violence that tells the tale - which can mean a lot of time and effort for very little dramatic reward.
With a muted palette and subtle camera replacing the staple Wild West formula of close ups and vibrant colour, The Assassination of Jesse James functions as an aged storybook come to life. You never get close enough to feel part of the experience - more a bystander having James’ outlaw mythology recounted to you by a crusty old timer who talks too much.
If you criticise this movie you do feel as though you are not getting it. But even with several hours reflection you will still come to the same conclusion. It's rather dull.
CAST
Brad Pitt
Casey Affleck
Sam Shephard
Mary Louise Parker
DIRECTOR
Andrew Dominik
TIME
160 mins
POSTED...
Fri 30 Nov 2007 at 10:40am
