Review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) by Jose Julian A — 09 Jan 2012

I can't quite pinpoint this movie. While I didn't hate it, I didn't completely enjoy it. I guess it's because it's a Western but it was more a character driven story that wasn't painfully slow but rather slow and methodically paced in its direction and storytelling.

Casey Affleck gives a pretty damn good performance as Robert Ford. He brings a lot of touches and nuances to the character to the point you understand his actions and empathize with his life; a very tortured person.

Brad Pitt, I felt, gives an uneven performance although he does a great job. He's also one of those hit or miss actors for me. If you're a Western fan and also a fan of good character focused dramas then I would say give this movie a chance.