The Assassination of Jesse James
Unmissable. - simonconnolly
Set in the 1800's this is the story of Jesse James and Robert Ford. Jesse James is the most respected and feared outlaw in America and is wanted in most of the states in America. One day Robert Ford gets the opportunity to meet Jesse when he is brought in to do a train job with him. He is one of Jesse's biggest fans and wasted no time in spending the time before the job with him. Jesse, who is usually a very distant man, takes to Robert and asks him to stay on for a few more weeks. He enjoys his time with Jesse and when he is sent back he dreams of returning again. Jesse does enlist the help of Ford again for a bank robbery he is planning with his brother but we see Jesse slowly begin to realise the extent to which Robert is obsessed with Jesse and the life he has lived. Robert almost becomes one of the family and Jesse seems to trust him more than all of his other men but we get a sense that Jesse is starting to become suspicious of Robert. Robert loves Jesse but wants to be as famous as him and thinks this will only happen if he kills him. In the end of it, on April 3, 1882 the deed is done as Robert shoots Jesse in his home with a gun given to him by the famous outlaw : Jesse is 34, Robert 20. Afterwards America mourns for Jesse and pictures of his body are sold. Robert Ford gets the fame he wanted all along as the man who killed Jesse James. He re-enacts the killing every night in a show which always sells out but he is soon labeled as a coward and eventually, 10 years after shooting Jesse James, Robert is murdered by Edward O'Kelly. This man would kill Bob and a petition would be signed to have him pardoned of his life sentence for the killing. The killing of a man who already died when he fired the gun that killed Jesse. The Assassination of Jesse James is one of the best films that has been released in the past few years. Casey Affleck gives a phenomenal performance as Robert Ford and I can honestly say that it is one of the best performances I have ever seen. He got an Oscar nomination for his display here. He outshines the also mesmerising Brad Pitt and that really is quite an accomplishment that not many actors have ever managed to do. Affleck brilliantly portrays the jealous, obsessive and ultimately cowardly yet dangerous Robert Ford and shows that he is a lot more talented in front of the camera then his older brother Ben. It is beautifully directed by Andrew Dominik who gives us a great insight into the criminal world back in the 1800's captures and he captures every emotion and every scene perfectly and the actual killing of Jesse is one of my favorite scenes. He build up to it so well and every scene shared by Jesse and Robert is filled with nail-biting tension. He has made a truly flawless film which I hope will be remembered and get the deserved recognition for years to come as a tale of a coward who longed for glory and shot dead the most loved and feared man in America, only to be loathed by everyone after firing that gun. Brad pitt is amazing, as usual. He does a great job as the American icon and shows why he is one of Hollywood's most popular and respected actors. I have never seen him produce a bad performance and he shows Jesse's character brilliantly and he filled every seen with tension and his death scene with emotion. The supporting cast are also very impressive but none of them manage to make a great impact due to the sheer class and brilliance of the two principal characters. It's quite a long film at 2 hours 40 minutes but it's all important and you will feel it is this long but you won't want it to end, once your enjoying it that is. All things considered, as a tribute to the lives of two extraordinary men and as a film, as far as I am concerned, it's flawless. A must-see fil which I would highly recommend.
Review published on the 11 November 2008 21:27
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True story of the fabled outlaw's death at the hands of a disloyal gang member. - zXNoRegretzzXz
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01 February 2008 13:25
Awful tripe - star
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Paint drying more exciting - corkchic
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Boredom Induced Coma! - stereophonic2k@hotmail.com
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02 January 2008 15:34
Long winded - Dave3004
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02 January 2008 13:37
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26 December 2007 01:55
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16 December 2007 02:28
very very accomplished - bobbyjoejenkins
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12 December 2007 01:48
Don't even get it on dvd -
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10 December 2007 15:25
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02 December 2007 23:20
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