ShowBiz Forum - messages #22643 .1

Prospero Blocks

Hot Celebrity Searches

'Grey's Anatomy'

Patrick Dempsey

'American Idol'

Sarah Jessica Parker

More Hot Searches

Chat Center

	Hot Movies Topic: Hot Movies
	The Drive-In Topic: The Drive-In

Board Folders

	Ask the Experts 1376 msgs in 79 dscns Latest: 5/5/09
	Industry News/... 5651 msgs in -132 dscns Latest: Jan-29
	Weekly ShowBiz... 4497 msgs in -98 dscns Latest: Feb-1
	Celebrity News... 11054 msgs in 564 dscns Latest: 3:22 PM
	TV/Movie Celebs 1961 msgs in 168 dscns Latest: Oct-10
	Music/Other Ce... 1321 msgs in 87 dscns Latest: Jan-29
	You Decide: Ho... 1323 msgs in 110 dscns Latest: Jan-21
	Movie Talk 6183 msgs in -68 dscns Latest: Feb-4
	Harvey Karten'... 2152 msgs in 844 dscns Latest: Feb-6
	World of Enter... 814 msgs in 121 dscns Latest: 9/18/08
	Home Video/DVD 1358 msgs in 234 dscns Latest: Oct-20
	Screenwriting 220 msgs in 31 dscns Latest: 5/10/07
	Theater & Music 843 msgs in 242 dscns Latest: Feb-3
	The Green Room 9445 msgs in 567 dscns Latest: 6/2/09

Harvey Karten's Reviews

Review: The Assassination of Jesse James

Print Discussion

#1 of 1 Posted 9/17/07 11:08 PM

From harveykarten Posts 798 Last Feb-7
To All [Msg # 22643.1 ]

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

Reviewed for CompuServe by Harvey S. Karten
Warner Bros
Grade: B+
Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Written By: Andrew Dominik, from Ron Hansen's novels
Cast: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner,
Garret Dillahunt, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Parks, Ted Levine, Sam Rockwell, Alison Elliott, James
Carville, Tom Aldredge, Kailin See, Hugh Ross
Screened at: Warner, NYC, 9/17/07
Opens: September 21, 2007

Many of my college buddies and I settled for careers in law, medicine, and academia. None of us
became stand-up comics. Yet we thought we had what it took when, on one slow night in freshman
year, we called everyone In the Boston phone book named Frank James. "Hello, Frank?" we would ask,
suppressing a giggle. "This is Jesse. We ride tonight." We hung up before we got replies, but in each
case we were confident that Frank heard this line for the very first time.

The story of Jesse James has not been done the first time in 2007, however. Versions of the world's
most famous outlaw–who lived fast, died young and left a beautiful corpse–were attempted by movies
such as "American Outlaws," "I Shot Jesse James," "the True Story of Jesse James," and in 1939,
"Jesse James"–with Tyrone Power regarded as the Greek god of his day as Brad Pitt is today.

For those impatient readers of reviews who look only or principally for the grade or the number of stars or which way the thumb points, the principal point is that this is in no way a shoot-em-up like, well like Michael Davis’s “Shoot ‘em Up,” nor is Jesse James portrayed as is Clive Owen in that movie’s character Smith. Nor is the dirty rotten coward who shot Mr. Howard drawn by writer-director Andrew Dominik as is the villainous Hertz, as portrayed by Davis’s Paul Giamatti. Also, if you’re an impatient reader, you’re likely to be an impatient moviegoer who could squirm not only at the 160-minute length of this pic, the slow speech of all of its personae, and the extended pauses that could make even Harold Pinter wince. This may be a western, but it’s–well, actually, it’s a real western, showing what parts of this country looked like in 1881 without perpetual gun battles with Apaches, Iroquois and Mohawks and without the blasts of the trumpet that announce the trample of cavalry horses, saving the day for the white guys.

If you are the patient type, though, you will be well rewarded. Really well rewarded, because I can’t think of another picture at least in recent memory that went on for two hours and forty slooooooooooowly paced minutes in which the time seemed to go by so quickly. “Huh, it’s over already?” Before it’s all over, with the title assassination coming about three-quarters into the story, you’ll note several highlights. Foremost, perhaps, is Roger Deakins’s photography, giving the tale an authentic feel with its sepia tones. In several frames, Deakins blurs the right and left edges of the film to give the viewer a feel of what a photographer in the late 19th century might see through the lens. One classic vision is that of Jesse James’ appearance from a cloud of train smoke like a mythological god sneaking in an appearance without being spotted by a mere earthling. Another standout is the majestic western scenery, which, truth to tell, deviates from the strict authenticity in that nothing is filmed in the good old USA: instead, western Canada’s glory is exploited principally in Alberta and Manitoba, where the winters are mighty cold–and gazing at the snow on the ground and the heavy threads on the equestrians, I felt an urge to scrunch up the elastic collar of my T-shirt. Nor can we fail to praise the several designers, who, sticking to the goal of authenticity go with an antique railroad train found in Fort Edmonton–a train which was repainted, with sleepers and a baggage car installed.

Of course the acting: While Brad Pitt looks as manly as he did in Guy Ritchie’s “Snatch” (as opposed to the baby-faced Adonis in Jean-Jacques Annaud’s “Seven Years in Tibet,” this is Casey Affleck’s picture, with high praise for a stunning, largely comic performance from Sam Rockwell as a member of the James gang who made sure to laugh heartily at all of Jesse’s jokes. Rockwell inhabits a character quite different from that of his kid brother, Robert Ford–who is played by Affleck as a complex person who is alternately nerdy, unsure of himself while his other side demonstrates a repulsive cockiness.

The story encompasses only the last seven months of Jesse James’s life–perhaps to avoid a movie with length of six hours or so. Jesse (Brad Pitt) and his brother Frank (Sam Shepard) plus a few temps pull off a train robbery, giving no indication that Jesse is some sort of contemporary Robin Hood who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. (Actually he never “gave” to the poor, but allegedly would rob the safes of the trains and leave the passengers alone, though in this movie the passengers are lightened of their wallets as well). Frank, apparently not needing a 401(k), goes into retirement, splitting with his younger brother, while Jesse picks up as assistants like Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), Charlie Ford (Sam Rockwell), and Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider). Robert is a 19-year-old who had admired Jesse through dime-store books much as today’s teens look up to Michael Jordan who appears on their TV screens and wears cool sneakers. Bob is a twerp who stalks Jesse, which is his way to apply for a job with the gang–which he finally gets, presumably because he reminds Jesse of what he might have been like fifteen years back.

Jesse, who goes by the name Thomas Howard during the few times he’s in his cabin with his wife Zee (Mary-Louise Parker) and two kids, Mary and Tim, puffs on a big cigar during his meditative hours, particularly when he’s sizing up his partners–whom he does not particularly trust since the reward money for Jesse’s head is greater than the funds he pilfered during his career. While considerable time is given to some other members of the gang, such Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider), who is a ladies’ man and for reasons that may seem obvious makes sure his last name is spelled with two d’s and not two t’s, the movie is at its best when focused on Jesse and the two Fords.

When Jesse James is finally shot, his guns on a distant table as though he were at least unconsciously hoping to be killed (he had gone through moments of depression), a nice, long epilogue unfolds highlighting Bob Ford’s later recognition as a hero by some, including a night-club dancer played winningly, as usual, by Zoe Deschanel, as a coward/traitor/betrayer by others.

Throughout, director Andrew Dominik–best known for his “Chopper” (which stars Eric Bana in the role of Australian crimial Mark “Chopper” Read who kills readily, mutilates himself, and has infinitely more violence than Dominik’s current film)–is crafted professionally with an emphasis on dig

...[Message truncated]

View Full Message

Print Discussion

Harvey Karten's Reviews

Review: The Assassination of Jesse James

Adjust text size:

Interest level:

Welcome, Guest

• Post a message

• New messages to you

Find messages


Advanced Search

Prospero Blocks

	Web Offers • Find: Astrology Chart
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Madonna's Music
• Kelly Clarkson
• Angelina Jolie
• Tom Cruise

Special Offers
Show me more info on:

Finding People

• Find a Date

• White Pages

• Reverse Lookup

• Cell Phone Numbers

• Unlisted Numbers

• E-mail Addresses

• Background Checks

• People Finder

• Fine Old Friends

• Family Tree

Cool Clicks!

• Unclaimed Cash

• Free Cell Phones

• Energy Boost

• Party Planning

• Photo Sharing

• Work From Home

• Video Games

• BloggingStocks

• Horoscope Updates

• Adult (18 & Over)

© 2009 CompuServe Interactive Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Legal Notices | Privacy Policy