THE ASSASINATION OF JESSE JAMES

THE ASSASINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
"Do you want to be like me? Or do you want to BE me?" says the legendary Jesse James (Brad Pitt) to a naive and simple minded Robert Ford (Casey Aflleck). These are the last days of Jesse James' life. His gang prepares to do their last job; but this movie is not about that. It is about him; them. Pitt brings to life the legend and makes him human, flawed and a little bit "off". He does a tremendous job of telling us about the man without having to be told. We see his suffering, his cocky attitude, his bravado. Unfortunately for him, his '#1 fan' also sees the human part of Jesse. Ford grew up idolizing this man who, when all is said and done, still just a man and that doesn't sit right with him. In the end, Ford turns into the same kind of man, one that is flawed and human, hence the title. The movie itself is beautifully shot and the details were right for the period piece. The scenery is lush and rich. You smell the gunpowder, the dirt and sweat. You get transformed to another place all-together. The characters' southern slush of words made it difficult to understand and the lingo even harder. I finally turned on the subtitles feature, which helped greatly. It is also a very, very long movie. Coming from a fast moving society, it was somewhat uncomfortable settling in at a slower pace. What it did do was to slowly bring the blurry into focus, both for the characters and the plot. When the intensity comes, it is felt just that much more and jars your previously serene mindset. This film was not just about that time, but more about the men in it and the complexity of one of our illustrious outlaws in James. The supporting cast fit together like an intricate puzzle. Mary-Louise Parker plays Zee, James' wife. I questioned that small role for such a talented actress, but it was the larger role of his family devotion that she makes known.
Pick: Beautiful and slow, well acted and Pitt is on his game. Long, but good.