One Wish: That The Duration Of This Movie Equaled The Time Taken
To Read Its Title
PopcornReel.com Movie Review: "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward
Robert Ford"
By Omar P.L. Moore/September 22, 2007
Studying a legend to vanquish him: Casey Affleck (left) is excellent as Robert
Ford, but can't save the trenchant exercise that is "The Assassination Of Jesse
James By The Coward Robert Ford", which also stars Brad Pitt, as Jesse James
(above). The film is directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik.
(Photo: Kimberley French/Warner Brothers)
Good news and bad news. First, the good news: Andrew
Dominik's film features Casey Affleck in his finest hour, in a riveting and
nuanced performance as the film title's coward, brilliant, sterling -- one of
the best internal displays of acting this year, as a matter of fact. The
bad news: it is everyone else's weakest hour (save Brad Pitt). Shot in
2005, this much-troubled, much-delayed film, the second such troubled film that
Warner Brothers has released in just over a month -- the other was "The
Invasion", which faded fast at the box-office in North America -- is long, droll
and runs at a monotone two-hour-and-40-minute ramble. And that's just too
bad, because there are some stupendous visions to enjoy courtesy of Roger
Deakins, but one of the most irritating aspects of the film are its painfully
gloomy narration which is unnecessary and feels force-fed. It is one thing
to convey a story with intensity and passion, but quite another when a filmmaker
is investing energy and effort in throwing the story at you in an annoying way
with such a trenchant and uninspiring narrative technique. It should be
noted that narration is not a general problem in a film per se, but when
delivered in a condescending, bedtime-story-like fashion for inordinate periods
of time, it feels sleepy, preachy, dreary, and without end (which defines the
experience of watching this film.)
The other huge let-down in the film is its editing, and because the editing is
so wildly uneven -- sequences that last a few seconds are smashed against scenes
that last at least five or ten minutes (and some of those could have used
further editing) -- it is not easy to sit comfortably and watch. The story
was reportedly edited not only by its original editors (Curtiss Clayton and
Dylan Tichenor), but also by Mr. Dominik himself, and then by Mr. Pitt.
The film was supposed to be released more than a year ago, but editing and other
creative issues and differences amongst those in front of and behind the scenes
hijacked the initial release date. "The Assassination Of Jesse James By
The Coward Robert Ford" (which opened yesterday in New York, Los Angeles,
Toronto and Austin, Texas) is like a horror show that refuses to draw much blood
-- it tortures you without making you scream -- but you know you are slowly
dying inside, and alas, there's no CPR in the vicinity to alleviate the
self-imposed suffocation, which is the feeling you feel after just about the
one-hour mark.
It should be said that Mr. Pitt doesn't do badly as the legendary American
outlaw Jesse James, train robber extraordinaire, a man celebrated by his legend
as much as by the fear in others who admired him. Because of who he is,
Jesse didn't trust many, and later on, in a rare bright moment in
"Assassination", his paranoia engulfs him. From the get-go he certainly
doesn't trust Robert Ford (Affleck), a weak, transparent and simpering presence,
inadequate in his own skin yet consumed by a smoldering admiration and dangerous
envy of Jesse. In one of the film's few memorable lines, Jesse, sensing
tension early on, says something to the effect of, "do you want to be like me,
or do you want to be me?" Jesse is sitting in a bucket bowl tub,
with his back to Ford. Mr. Affleck's silent reaction is priceless.
There are the odd lines of sparkling dialogue, but otherwise the screenplay
(also by Mr. Dominik and based on Ron Hansen's novel) is very much unfocused.
Amazingly, Brad Pitt and Brad Grey (both of whom produced the 2006 Best Picture
Oscar winner "The Departed") produced Mr. Dominik's film, along with Ridley
Scott, whose brother Tony was one of the "Assassination" executive producers.
The film tracks numerous adventures, which don't go anywhere and aren't
compelling enough to raise even an eyebrow of sustained interest. Much of
the film feels like build up toward the inevitable ending, which the title gives
away so successfully (unless you are unaware of history or urban legend.)
Sam Rockwell also simpers along as Robert Ford's brother, Sam Shepard is Jesse
James's brother Frank, Mary Louise-Parker is adequate as Zee James, Jesse's
wife; Paul Schneider provides some comic relief as the eager and trigger-happy
Dick Liddell, and James Carville makes a cameo appearance in the film's third
hour (and that's not a spoiler, it's a wake up call. At least for
some.) By then, it is far too late for any miracle redemption. The
train has left the station, and one won't be showing up until the next morning,
leaving an audience to wander a deserted town, or walk all the way home.
The saddest thing about Mr. Dominik's film is that Casey Affleck's great
performance is wasted -- it belongs in another film, and there are numerous
other films that would gladly benefit. "Assassination" works three times
as hard as James Mangold's recent "3:10 To Yuma" does to make its point and
convey its story in moving pictures -- and Mr. Mangold's "Yuma" is a fine remake
of the original 1957 film. The results here however, are staggeringly bad,
and even the fishbowl technique of the cinematography in some scenes is also
dismaying and irritating. At the very least, the film's architects are
guilty of trying to make a film whose duration essentially equals 15 minutes for
each word of its ten-word title, when a one hour and 40 minute film would have
done just nicely instead.
"The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is rated R by
the Motion Picture Association Of America for some strong violence and brief
sexual references. The film's duration is two hours and 40 minutes, but
seems much longer than that. A word of advice: don't look at your watch or
you'll really suffer the consequences.
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