The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, director Dominik's second feature, is so good I couldn't bring myself to leave the theatre for a bathroom break when my bladder, only 40 minutes into the 2+ hour film, screamed full. Some may find Assassination's lengthy 160 minutes to be a turn off, but the film is extremely well-paced and truly stunning throughout. The plot is summed up in the long-winded title, so while the ending holds no great surprise, it's still a movie with many appreciable merits.
The acting is all about what is not said and how it is not said; in other words, how the actors deal with silence - which there is plenty of in this film. Brad Pitt (Jesse James) shows depth as the legendary outlaw preceded by his own great mythology, searching for solace as he enters middle-age and hangs up his robbery boots for good. But Casey Affleck (Robert Ford) is galvanic, and he steals the show as a young, angst-filled man yet to lose his boyhood fascinations with James.
The cinematography is poetic, but never forced or pompous as it explores the modest beauty of the Missouri landscape. Dominik has an eye for framing his shots, and he uses the focus and colors as if they too are characters. The film is ultimately a quiet drama that transcends the western genre, and it's the best film I've seen this year.
