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In the tradition of latter-day westerns like The Wild Bunch or Unforgiven, Jesse James is set in the dying days of the wild west. The movie opens with the last big heist of the gang of Frank and Jesse James, who are joined by Robert Ford, an awkward, obsessive teenager eager for outlaw fame. The movie explores themes of fame, fear, and loyalty with drawn-out pacing. The movie's cinematography is nothing short of gorgeous, with many wide-angled compositions that use a peripheral blur I had never seen before. The film maintains a brooding tension by means of a great, ambigious script and supported by ominous sound design. The two titular leads give great performances, with Pitt unpredictably hovering between a menacing, ruthless sociopath and a sentimental, broken man facing inevitable defeat. Casey Affleck's character is one of the most interesting and well-rounded as I have ever seen in a movie: a young man trying to raise to an occassion without ever coming close to realizing what that occassion might entail. Jesse James refuses direct comparisons with other westerns I have seen. The tone it strikes is subtly different from the sentimental and tragic that characterize the genre: it maintains the inevitability of tragedy, but refuses its protagonists the vision to understand their inevitable faiths. It's not often you see a movie you think people will be watching in 50 years. I am not arguing Jesse James is a perfect film (though I haven't seen flaws); it's just far enough removed from anything else I've seen that I suspect it's a budding classic. The director, Andrew Dominik, has established himself on my must-see-everything-he-does list with a bullet. Pros: Very original, excellent cinematography, acting, script and audio. cons: None. BUT the movie is long, and slow, and not action oriented, so it might not be your thing. 10/10
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Sep 28, 2007 07:08
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 13:45 |
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I usually hate westerns, and I probably would not have seen this movie if my friends hadn't offered me a free ticket he had. The film was very slow, but I was completely engrossed for the entire time, almost three hours. Andrew Dominik has grown leaps and bounds as a director since "Chopper", which I didn't mind, but kind of bored me. This movie has a creeping, subtle intensity that builds for the entire flick until the climax, which was probably ten times better for me, because I'd never even heard the Jesse James / Robert Ford story until I saw this movie, and I was not expecting it to happen the way it did. Some people have said that the narrator is a bland, almost national geographic type, but I would say that the voice fits perfectly into the tone of the movie, along with the beautiful score and stunning visuals. Then there is the acting. Casey Affleck just blew away any performance his brother has ever given. He is both endearing and off-putting as the awkward Ford. Brad Pitt is and always has been a terrific actor, and this movie is no exception. He brings James to life in a believable and interesting way that makes you constantly unsure about whether he should be trusted. My only negative is that it probably could have been shortened a bit. Just maybe tightening up some of the establishing shots and more drawn out scenes but thats more because I wish more people would see and enjoy this film. It didn't bother me one bit, but of the four people I went to the theater with, one guy didn't like it, and the other two thought it was pretty good, so this movie isn't for everyone, but it was definitely for me. 5/5
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Oct 28, 2007 18:33
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