The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford

I consider myself a fan of movies in general. All genres, from all decades, spanning any run-time. However, this movie was a bit dry and long for me (nearly 3 hours—and not the pulse pounding nearly 3 hours that was The Dark Knight). I kept thinking to myself that I would have enjoyed this movie better as a book. That’s how it seemed to played out…lots of narration, little dialogue and still-shots of characters sitting in silence.

Despite the snail pace of this movie Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck still manage to give stellar performances. Both actors were focused, intense and incredibly believable. The desperation that Affleck portrayed only solidified his performance as one of the great ones of 2007. The Oscar nomination was well deserved. Pitt is rugged and brute, yet he still manages to offer a smoldering sex appeal.

The culmination of the movie, the moment that portrays the very title of the movie comes suddenly and is over just as fast. The moment we have been waiting for is very anti-climatic, with little thought or explanation. The characters seem to respond oddly and inconsistently. After all the build-up the ending proves to be disappointing at best.

Missy Cinema Score: C+