Because it needs to be said
Added 1/25/2010
There are enough intelligent and well-written reviews here that I'm only weighing in to bring the average rating up and throw a barb out. For those of you that didn't understand this film: If you're 10 years old, then your inability to have at it in one sitting might make some sense. Otherwise, you're just another example of how people have been so poisoned by 3-second cuts and soulless, effects-driven garbage that such things as theme, character development, irony and sound storytelling have become anathema. For you folks, I recommend that you only play video games and watch "300" for the rest of your lives. This way, at least you will have removed yourself from any serious contention in human affairs and maybe that will give the rest of us a chance to keep humanity from going extinct in the next 50 years.
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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Beautiful and emotionally gut-wrenching
Added 1/25/2010
I think we can all agree that there were some truly excellent films that have been released in the year 2007. No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Hot Fuzz, and Sicko are fine examples. And granted, there were some really awful films released that year as well (such as Disturbia and Bee Movie), but I won't go into that. Now, there have been three marvelous Western dramas of '07 that I have seen: No Country for Old Men (more of a contemporary Western), There Will Be Blood, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. These are not your typical shoot-`em-up Westerns; they are psychological thrillers/dramas that can really give you a bad case of chills down the spine. No Country for Old Men is already one of my favorite films of all time. There Will Be Blood, although not one of my personal favorites, is still a masterpiece, and Daniel Day-Lewis deserved the Oscar for Best Actor. As for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.....it is officially on my top favorites list. I mean it, as soon as I finished watching this movie, I began to admire it as much as I did for No Country. And while these two films are greatly different from each other, I think I love this one even more.
The title of this movie does tell you what happens in the movie, but it's so much more than just the notorious assassination. In this film, we see the apparent degradation of Jesse James, while forming an eccentric friendship with Robert Ford and his brother Charley Ford. I won't go into much detail, but both Robert and Charley start to see the silent madness that is inside Jesse. And when both of their lives are in danger, they must make a crucial decision.....
As I said before, this is not your typical Hollywood-style Western. You don't have massive gun battles or chariot chase scenes. What you get here is more of a psychological experience that is beautifully handled. Robert Ford was always looked down upon by people. Many people have seen him as dirt in his entire life, and that's what propels him to become somebody of great talent and inspiration. He looks up to Jesse James, and when the two slowly begin to bond as friends, Robert's respect for the man soon fades later on as he discovers something cynical about the outlaw. Jesse James himself becomes an important part of the story. Once the famous "James" gang is no more, Jesse is now on his own with none other than the Fords. He is still being hunted down by lawmen, and he starts to question his place on this earth (or at least that's how I see it). Judging by his appearance, he can look calm and well-mannered, especially with his own family. But other times, he can look silently psychotic. He can give you an icy stare, and at that moment, you have no idea what is going to happen next. Will he let you go or will he shoot you in the head? I found myself emotionally drenched because of all the emotional chaos that occurs from beginning to end.
This film by Andrew Dominick reminds me of the directing style of Terrence Malick, one of my top favorite directors of all time. Dominick gives us some beautiful shots of natural scenery and trivial objects. The pacing is also familiar: anyone who has seen The Thin Red Line and The New World will know what I'm talking about. It lacks quick cut shots and mind-numbingly loud sound effects, and it's perfect for this film. I wouldn't think this character-driven story would work if it were an ADD-induced action spectacle. Speaking of action, there is very little of it. Most of it occurs in the beginning of the film (the famous train robbery scene), and the film relies heavily on characters and dialogue. This might put some people off who are expecting to see at least a bit of gunplay. If you're looking for some gunplay, then I would highly recommend the recent remake of 3:10 to Yuma, which is also a great Western film.
But, of course, we shouldn't leave out Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. These are two of the most captivating performances I've ever seen on film. Pitt and Affleck play Jesse James and Robert Ford almost perfectly. The appearances, mannerisms, and communications are really spot-on (especially Affleck). I don't know much about the real James and Ford, but these are still solid performances. Affleck should have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but then again, Javier Bardem (from No Country for Old Men) deserved it as well.
This isn't a perfect film, but it's still a beautiful, well-made film that's emotionally gut-wrenching. Of all the Western films that have been made in the 20th Century and the new millennium, this might be my all-time favorite.
Grade: A
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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few and far between
Added 1/14/2010
I watched "Jesse James"via DVD this morning before coming to work.Actually the DVD was a Christmas present from 2008,I think.I sat it aside,because I heard it was a uninteresting,long,expensive,pretentious,took forever to make by a second film,perfectionist,New Zealander director who's a T. Malick wanna-be,and the film just did not work.
The film I watched is a masterpiece.I was surprised,and couldn't take my eyes off the screen.Jesse James is director Dominic's beautiful,raw,vision of the age-old Frank and Jesse story with an ending we all know.So what's different about this "oater"?
Well,its the great,complex performances by Pitt and co.It's Dominic's lurid,timed,melodic use of cinematic imagery that's at least hypnotic.It's cinematography soooo good,and soooo beautiful,that it becomes a character entity just as powerful as any or all of the actors.It's the dark,sinister,murderous,paranoid,over the top Jesse James presented to us through Pitt's brilliant,schizophrenic,interpretation of a character,said to be a hero,gone worse than bad,doomed from the start of the film,as the evil of bad men should be.It's the cramped,realism of the smokey,interiors,of little farm houses that set stark on lonely,snow covered vistas,where the hint of violence is omnipresent.It's the 2hr and 40 minutes of quality moviemaking you get to experience,which of course is an experience that's few and far between...
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Added 1/12/2010
In 1881, a younger member of the notorious Jesse James gang becomes so inextricably drawn to and frightened of his mentor that his own delusions of grandeur force him to consider doing the unthinkable. This movie is a haunting retelling of one of the enduring outlaw sagas in American culture. This movie is a poetic saga that offers a fresh and bewitching take on the life of Jesse James. A brilliant movie with a satisfying surprise.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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A tiresome experience
Added 1/10/2010
If Jesse James was really so void of personality and depth as Brad Pitt portrays him to be, then there should never have been a movie about him. There are attempts to give the guy some soul, but it doesn't work. I don't know why, maybe Pitt simply can't help being himself, and brings to the screen a very confused man who tries to be cool, cocky and depressed at the same time, but you feel it doesn't make for natural viewing at all. Even the way he speaks sounds very unnatural. He finds it very hard to play anything but himself.
The only redeeming feature, and the only engaging character in this film is Robert Ford, played by a magnificent Casey Affleck. He's the only guy one can connect with, even though he's a misguided, delusional youth.
That's where the compliments end. Because the film sets out as a deep character study of people without character, and cares not a iota about thrilling or entertaining with plots, it turns out to be one loooong failure. 3 out of 10.
0 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Because it needs to be said
Added 1/25/2010
There are enough intelligent and well-written reviews here that I'm only weighing in to bring the average rating up and throw a barb out. For those of you that didn't understand this film: If you're 10 years old, then your inability to have at it in one sitting might make some sense. Otherwise, you're just another example of how people have been so poisoned by 3-second cuts and soulless, effects-driven garbage that such things as theme, character development, irony and sound storytelling have become anathema. For you folks, I recommend that you only play video games and watch "300" for the rest of your lives. This way, at least you will have removed yourself from any serious contention in human affairs and maybe that will give the rest of us a chance to keep humanity from going extinct in the next 50 years.
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
|
Beautiful and emotionally gut-wrenching
Added 1/25/2010
I think we can all agree that there were some truly excellent films that have been released in the year 2007. No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Hot Fuzz, and Sicko are fine examples. And granted, there were some really awful films released that year as well (such as Disturbia and Bee Movie), but I won't go into that. Now, there have been three marvelous Western dramas of '07 that I have seen: No Country for Old Men (more of a contemporary Western), There Will Be Blood, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. These are not your typical shoot-`em-up Westerns; they are psychological thrillers/dramas that can really give you a bad case of chills down the spine. No Country for Old Men is already one of my favorite films of all time. There Will Be Blood, although not one of my personal favorites, is still a masterpiece, and Daniel Day-Lewis deserved the Oscar for Best Actor. As for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.....it is officially on my top favorites list. I mean it, as soon as I finished watching this movie, I began to admire it as much as I did for No Country. And while these two films are greatly different from each other, I think I love this one even more.
The title of this movie does tell you what happens in the movie, but it's so much more than just the notorious assassination. In this film, we see the apparent degradation of Jesse James, while forming an eccentric friendship with Robert Ford and his brother Charley Ford. I won't go into much detail, but both Robert and Charley start to see the silent madness that is inside Jesse. And when both of their lives are in danger, they must make a crucial decision.....
As I said before, this is not your typical Hollywood-style Western. You don't have massive gun battles or chariot chase scenes. What you get here is more of a psychological experience that is beautifully handled. Robert Ford was always looked down upon by people. Many people have seen him as dirt in his entire life, and that's what propels him to become somebody of great talent and inspiration. He looks up to Jesse James, and when the two slowly begin to bond as friends, Robert's respect for the man soon fades later on as he discovers something cynical about the outlaw. Jesse James himself becomes an important part of the story. Once the famous "James" gang is no more, Jesse is now on his own with none other than the Fords. He is still being hunted down by lawmen, and he starts to question his place on this earth (or at least that's how I see it). Judging by his appearance, he can look calm and well-mannered, especially with his own family. But other times, he can look silently psychotic. He can give you an icy stare, and at that moment, you have no idea what is going to happen next. Will he let you go or will he shoot you in the head? I found myself emotionally drenched because of all the emotional chaos that occurs from beginning to end.
This film by Andrew Dominick reminds me of the directing style of Terrence Malick, one of my top favorite directors of all time. Dominick gives us some beautiful shots of natural scenery and trivial objects. The pacing is also familiar: anyone who has seen The Thin Red Line and The New World will know what I'm talking about. It lacks quick cut shots and mind-numbingly loud sound effects, and it's perfect for this film. I wouldn't think this character-driven story would work if it were an ADD-induced action spectacle. Speaking of action, there is very little of it. Most of it occurs in the beginning of the film (the famous train robbery scene), and the film relies heavily on characters and dialogue. This might put some people off who are expecting to see at least a bit of gunplay. If you're looking for some gunplay, then I would highly recommend the recent remake of 3:10 to Yuma, which is also a great Western film.
But, of course, we shouldn't leave out Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. These are two of the most captivating performances I've ever seen on film. Pitt and Affleck play Jesse James and Robert Ford almost perfectly. The appearances, mannerisms, and communications are really spot-on (especially Affleck). I don't know much about the real James and Ford, but these are still solid performances. Affleck should have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but then again, Javier Bardem (from No Country for Old Men) deserved it as well.
This isn't a perfect film, but it's still a beautiful, well-made film that's emotionally gut-wrenching. Of all the Western films that have been made in the 20th Century and the new millennium, this might be my all-time favorite.
Grade: A
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
few and far between
Added 1/14/2010
I watched "Jesse James"via DVD this morning before coming to work.Actually the DVD was a Christmas present from 2008,I think.I sat it aside,because I heard it was a uninteresting,long,expensive,pretentious,took forever to make by a second film,perfectionist,New Zealander director who's a T. Malick wanna-be,and the film just did not work.
The film I watched is a masterpiece.I was surprised,and couldn't take my eyes off the screen.Jesse James is director Dominic's beautiful,raw,vision of the age-old Frank and Jesse story with an ending we all know.So what's different about this "oater"?
Well,its the great,complex performances by Pitt and co.It's Dominic's lurid,timed,melodic use of cinematic imagery that's at least hypnotic.It's cinematography soooo good,and soooo beautiful,that it becomes a character entity just as powerful as any or all of the actors.It's the dark,sinister,murderous,paranoid,over the top Jesse James presented to us through Pitt's brilliant,schizophrenic,interpretation of a character,said to be a hero,gone worse than bad,doomed from the start of the film,as the evil of bad men should be.It's the cramped,realism of the smokey,interiors,of little farm houses that set stark on lonely,snow covered vistas,where the hint of violence is omnipresent.It's the 2hr and 40 minutes of quality moviemaking you get to experience,which of course is an experience that's few and far between...
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
|
