Directed by:
Andrew DominikScreenplay:
Andrew DominikCinematography:
Roger DeakinsCast:
Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Garret Dillahunt, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Parks, Ted Levine (more)VOD (2)
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Everyone in 1880s America knows Jesse James. He’s the nation’s most notorious criminal, hunted by the law in 10 states. He’s also the land’s greatest hero, lauded as a Robin Hood by the public. Robert Ford? No one knows him. Not yet. But the ambitious 19-year-old aims to change that. He’ll befriend Jesse, ride with his gang. And if that doesn’t bring Ford fame, he’ll find a deadlier way. Friendship becomes rivalry and the quest for fame becomes obsession in this virile epic produced in part by Ridley Scott and featuring gripping portrayals by Brad Pitt (winner of the Venice Film Festival Best Actor Award) as Jesse and Casey Affleck as the youth drawn closer to his goal…and farther from his own humanity. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
I won’t even mention the title here, as half of my review would consist of its various word forms :D ... This poetic western has a very slow start and minimal shootouts, but the film makes up for it with its meticulous development of characters and their motivations. It beautifully plays with each shot (Roger Deakins's signature style is unmistakable), presenting the viewer with a visual gem of the genre. And, of course, besides everything else, there's the excellent Brad Pitt as James and the outstanding Casey Affleck as Ford. The younger Affleck brother delivers an acting tour de force, with every moment finely tuned during the intense dialogues between him and Pitt. I understand that such an artistically crafted Western isn’t for every mainstream viewer. I certainly didn’t mind the established style, as I got used to it, but I was a bit disappointed that there weren’t more action-packed sequences. However, for those who enjoy gradual tension building, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I give it 81%.
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A slow, but smoothly told story of fate, in which you know the end of all the characters the moment they are introduced at the beginning as a bunch of primitive rednecks hungry for money. Dominik's direction, coupled with Deakins' cinematography, has an almost hypnotic effect, and the film rides (thanks also to Nick Cave’s score) on a wave of feeling rather than shaking the colts damnably low. Pitt acts "only" by constantly pitying them and Affleck's slimy rat - you hate, you understand, and on and on. Either way, he’s the one who owns this film. It’s too bad the director isn't as good at creating relationships between the characters (briskness) as he is at atmosphere because then it would have been brilliant. This way it stayed just below the higher review scores.
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It’s been a long time since I first saw this movie. Back then, I hadn’t yet been exposed to all the best western movies and so I rated it three stars. But now I thought that this movie couldn’t have been so bad and so I’ve risked watching the 153 minutes again. At that point, I minded the overly lengthy watch time once again, but I enjoyed the Pitt vs Affleck acting performances so much more. I was also enjoying the movie’s atmosphere along with the story itself and the best thing about it was the music by Nick Cave who had a few cameos himself. This movie is very original. I get the differing opinions: either you like it a lot or not. Either you respect its originality or not. At first I just respected it, but now I have to say that as far as cinematography goes, I enjoyed some of the moments a whole lot as well.
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American history and national myths feature the story of the famous outlaw Jesse James. Rather than being an artistic western, the film is more of an anti-western that consistently breaks the genre's stereotypes and is uncompromising in its rejection of western clichés. This is its main advantage, but paradoxically also its greatest weakness. Film fans often complain about clichés, but at the same time, they really like them. Andrew Dominik did not conceive his film as an adventure story, but rather as a slowly flowing biographical story of Jesse James. The problem is that the runtime is dragged out and the film as a whole is unremarkable, so when combined with melancholic music, it acts like a sedative. Those who start watching the film late at night hoping to be entertained have a decent chance of falling asleep. The film has several strengths, such as the cast, where a group of excellent actors come together, and the excellent camera work. However, the overall impression is strongly influenced by the lack of dynamic action and effects that would be able to energize viewers. Overall impression: 55%.
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Brad Pitt gave one of the best performances of his career, and if Andrew Dominic hadn't made it so long, this might have been one of his best movies. The unnecessary rambling of the story takes away from its intensity and distracts from the main plot. I guess that's the only thing that bothered me. The other actors do their best, too, and Casey Affleck is either a great actor or a total douche in reality. Ford is an ugly figure, and even the ending couldn't redeem him in any way. He did what he did, and I didn't care at all that he regretted it. A young naïve fool who wanted to become famous and killed his friend. In a cowardly way, from behind, and for no fundamental reason. We shouldn't kill our heroes, we should look up to them. A very strong four star rating.
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