Review: The Assasination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.

First off: If you've never heard of this film then I am not surprised. It's got some great actors (Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck) and a successful director (Ridley Scott). This film was released with very little advertisement both in and out of theatres. Even when it was released it was only shown in a select few cinemas. This treatment towards a film can either be a good thing or bad thing towards the industry. On the one hand, you don't have cinemas being forced to spend money on films which just won't give them revenue though on the other hand, the small indie films/small budget movies find it hard to get a shoe in.

The movie follows the story of wild west outlaw Jesse James (Pitt) and the few days before his assassination by fellow gang member Robert Ford (Affleck). The movie spans several heists, in which the audience observes the development of Robert Ford's criminal mind - A character who from the beginning is portrayed as a simple, child-like 19 year old is transformed into a cold-hearted yet still naïve killer. As for Jesse James, the audience really is shown how fear can affect a man.

In all honesty wild west films generally bore the crap out of me, no doubt about that though this film was different. The only westerns I've watched were the ones that regularly play on BBC 2 and last for about 3 years each. The Assassination runs smoothly thanks to a brilliant narrative which keeps the viewer interested and the story clear.

Technically, this film is also a treat. For those who enjoy interesting shots and such, this movie can really provide and suffice. There are many though one shot I really like was an establishing shot which occurs near the beginning of the film where Jesse and the gang are embarking on a train heist. Shots like these help compliment the setting and environment the film is based upon.

The only aspect which detracts appeal from the film is the running time. The film lasts a hefty 2 hours 40 which in anybodys book is a large amount of time to be sitting in front of the screen. Having said that, due to the ease of the storyline and continuous quality of acting and production it feels as though nothing has been left out nor too dragged out.

A definite watch... go now... run!

Josh.