The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Director: Andrew Dominik

Cast: Brad Pitt as Jesse James, Mary-Louise Parker as Zee James, Brooklynn Proulx as Mary James, Dustin Bollinger as Tim James, Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford, Jeremy Renner as Wood Hite, Sam Shepard as Frank James, Garret Dillahunt as Ed Miller, Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil, Joel McNichol as Express Messenger, James Defelice as Baggagemaster (as James DeFelice), J.C. Roberts as Engineer, Darrell Orydzuk as Ukranian Train Passenger, Jonathan Erich Drachenberg as Young Train Passenger

Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert
Ford, is a deliberately paced, stunningly visualized, and emotionally
charged exploration of the early development of mass media celebrity in
America. The film riveted my attention for two hours and 40 minutes,
and has remained on my mind for several days after my viewing. Although
centered on one of the iconic legends of the Old West, it is far beyond
an updated reincarnation of the Western. It is an epic allegory about
the development of the American cult of celebrity and the effects of
this obsession on the individuals caught in its web.

Visually, the film soars beyond anything that has hit the screen since
Conrad Hall's final masterpiece with Road to Perdition. Roger Deakins,
the cinematography genius behind The Shawshank Redemption, Kundun, and
all the Cohen brothers" films since The Hudsucker Proxy, surpasses his
best work. He pulls out all the stops here—intricately orchestrated
changes in focus, richly textured colors, dazzling use of light
sources, careful manipulations of time, powerfully significant fade-ins
and fade-outs, and shots through rain, snow, and rippled old glass—to
communicate the story. Deakins' contribution stands out in the railroad
train robbery sequence at the beginning of the film. Clearly defined,
flickering light sources and deep black shadows create a dazzling,
nightmarish vision that haunts the rest of the film. This sequence
alone is worth the price of admission.

The richly textured, historically precise visual aspects of the film
bring to mind Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven and Robert Altman's
McCabe and Mrs. Miller. However, instead of the understated,
"realistic" performances featured in those films, The Assassination of
Jesse James…showcases powerful, yet still realistic performances by an
outstanding ensemble cast.

Sam Rockwell, as the not-too-bright but well-meaning Charley Ford, and
Mary-Louise Parker, as Jesse's loving wife, stand out. Yet the film
belongs to the two titular leads, both of whom deliver the performances
of their careers and create characters filled with disturbing
contradictions. Brad Pitt's Jesse James is alternately pitiable and
terrifying—an affectionate, loving father, an old-before-his-time sage,
an adventurous daredevil, an unrepentant bad boy, and a vicious
sociopath. Casey Affleck's Robin Ford is a complex, repellent, and
tragic character who challenges the audience's complicity in the
undercurrents of the film.

All in all, this is a great film—not for those seeking the simple
pleasures of instant gratification. But definitely worth the attention
of those who still believe that movies are an art form.