Rating:  -
I was hesitant in watching the movie as have never liked westerns and didn't want to see another a shoot'em up/kill the horses type movie. But, I'm big on biographies/history, love Brad Pitt as an actor, and read about the good reviews so thought would give it a chance. Brad as Jesse James was GREAT...and always easy on the eyes no matter what character he plays. But, I have to give the top praise to Casey Affleck as AWESOME playing Robert Ford. He made the movie so believable with his acting and think his voice is so unique/different. I then realized that I heard it in another movie..."Gone Baby Gone"...directed by his brother Ben Affleck which is also a good movie.
Rating:  -
This flick has superb moody cinematography, and convincing supporting performances by Affleck, Shepard and Rockwell. The plot is slow and meandering, but the realism and indirect, understated psychology and motives are revealed in an interesting way. Pitt simply is not convincing as a bad guy or villian to me, despite having facial hair, talking in a lower tone, and engaging in extended staredowns with other characters. It is Affleck and Rockwell's acting in contrast that give what little sense of menace you get from the film. If you can get past that, then this movie is a realistic yet artisitic portrayal of Jesse James at a psychological level, at least in the movie's images and main character actions.
Rating: -
When I first saw this on DVD earlier this year, I remained transfixed in wonder at the sheer majesty of it. The story was told with such a clear voice, it immediately felt deeply personal. Then there was the stunning cinematography, which turned the landscapes into portraiture, and you couldn't help but become enveloped by the pure vastness of it. I remember trying to take it all in, and thinking how THIS would be one to savor on Blu-ray. The story luxuriates in a Wyeth-like beauty, in a style that captures something like the concentrated personalities staring back hard-eyed from the earliest black and white photographs, trying to say everything in the single instant of their pose. The impression of an era is recreated through a palette of rustic tones. To reinforce the flavor of early photography, some scenes are shot with a very shallow depth of field, so that the edges are blurry. Perhaps I'm overstating it, but it's simply the most beautiful western in the history of cinema. And not just in the way it looked, but in the way the story unfolds. Some people complained it moved too slowly, but, to me, it was a rich character study, and as such, there was always something happening, not necessarily as chronological events, but as tense exchanges between personalities. The pacing isn't slow as much as it is gradual and deliberate. This isn't just cinema; it's a meditation on time and place. It's hypnotic.
The Blu-ray met my every expectation, revealed what I knew I was missing in the SD edition. But the extra features were a bit disappointing. The only bonus on the disc was a single 30-minute documentary about the real Jesse James. It was interesting enough, for sure, but I wanted to know more about the movie itself, the people behind it, how they thought to present the subject this way. Mostly I wanted to know more about the incredible cinematography, which made this such an enriching experience. I could see in the documentary that there were some scenes shot for the film that didn't make it to the final cut. I would have liked to know more about those decisions. On the upside, it gives me some hope that maybe there's a Director's Cut in the future, an even longer version, in a special edition, at which point all will be revealed. For now, there's not even a director commentary.
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Rating:  -
I heard many great things about this film, but unfortunately for me it just didn't hold my interest. The film moves along at a glacier's pace, which wouldn't be that bad if the story gave me something to grab on to. I could have read the book in the dark faster than watching this film!
On the plus side, I give the film makers credit for trying to make a serious western although not nearly as truthful as they would like you to believe. The acting is very good, with a strong cast and the film looks beautiful, but in the end, I knew where it was going and I didn't learn anything new, I didn't know at the beginning of the film! It's long, slow and will leave you scratching your head as the credits role.....if that's your idea of entertainment....then by all means........knock yourself out!
Rating:  -
I'm surprised that I actually liked this movie. I thought the cinematography was great, Brad Pitt commanded the scene, and I found it highly suspenseful. IMHO they could have done without the voice over and I can see why the pacing could throw some viewers, but it worked for me.
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