Assassin's Greed

Here's my very first review for this blog:

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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

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I remember a time when everyone was under the impression that the western genre died shortly after the releases of Tombstone and Unforgiven, the latter being the last film, as of now, to be a western Best Picture at the Oscars. Despite numerous (failed) attempts predominately by Kevin Costner, it never really revived the American spirits as it once did in the past. This year, we had the benefit of witnessing two westerns being released: the one that is titled above and James Mangold's remake 3:10 to Yuma. I am happy to say that the former is a much better work of art.

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This film is amazing probably for some of the reasons that many might dislike it. For one thing, it is a long, 160 minute adventure that will drive some people to insanity. However, that two hours and forty minutes allows us to get lost into the story and these characters. Writer-director Andrew Dominik does a fantastic job at approaching this film and treating it not as a shoot-em-up piece like Mangold did, but instead takes a step back and makes us look at these characters and the deep emotional connections they make. It is a bold execution that pays off in the end.

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The news is also true that Casey Affleck greatly surpasses his co-star Brad Pitt, despite Pitt winning Best Actor at Venice. Affleck's Robert Ford is a rich character that Affleck plays to perfection. His fascination with James makes his sheepish quality and hoarse voice seem like calculated tools to lure him into the gang's company, and as we spend more time with him, we start to see a change that only invigorates our spirits even more. It would be wonderful if Affleck was considered for an Oscar come late in the year. As for Pitt, he isn't terrible. In fact, he's quite good, but nowhere near as impressive as Affleck. Most of the time, it seems like Pitt is just playing his own personality and just happens to be wearing the Jesse James costume. Still, he has bouts of showcasing his high acting level, and it is appreciated. Among the other players, a standout is Sam Rockwell, who plays Robert Ford's brother. If Affleck were not getting most of the attention, Rockwell could have been a viable candidate as well. Still, it is a great performance from an actor that many might not expect it from.

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I don't know if the western has finally come back or not. I also am not sure if this film, or even Mangold's, will be recognized when Academy members start filling out their Oscar ballots. However, I can say now that "The Assassination of Jesse James..." is a film that resonates with you long after you see it, and it's added great performances, intriguing script, and beautiful designs of sets, costumes and cinematography influenced my decision to say that this is the best film of the year that I have seen so far. **** / **** ; GRADE: A.