The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is not the movie you think it is, at least it wasn't the kind of movie I thought I was going to see. It is more like a lyrical novel with characters moving in and out of the story as needed and just when the film appears to be over we are treated to an extended epilogue that makes the whole picture deeper and richer than anything I was expecting.
The film is long (160 minutes) but once you settle into it's pace and rhythms it is hard to notice the length. I could have watched another hour it seems, as there were characters and scenes that I wanted to spend more time with. Or just simply watching the amazing cinematography by Roger Deakins with it's time lapse photography and wide open, empty landscapes.
This also features career best work by Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, Paul Schneider, Sam Rockwell, and (strangely enough) James Carville. It is Affleck, not Pitt, who is the central character. Pitt's Jesse James is the star of the film, no question about it, but he is just a spring board for all these other characters to bounce off of, they all revolve around him while the story revolves around Affleck. Once the eventual killing takes place it is like a breath of fresh air is released by both characters. It is what follows though, that makes the film even greater.
No comments:
Post a Comment