The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

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⭐10/10

I watched this one a week ago and have not stopped thinking about it. I didn't give it a perfect score when I finished, but the more time I give it, the more I like it, and at this point I'm ready to admit that I think it's a masterpiece. More than that, it is a movie made for me. The writing, the cinematography, the music, the performances; all are exactly what I look for in movies. 

This is based on the true story of Jesse James being betrayed by one of his gang members for the bounty on his head. I like that the movie is spoiled straight away because it means that immediately you are less invested in the plot and gives you room to think about these characters. There are plenty of good ones, but I think the two Ford brothers stand out above the rest. Sam Rockwell as the greasy older brother is maybe my favorite Rockwell performance, and then Casey Affleck has one of the most impressive performances you will ever see as Robert Ford. Capturing that pride, yet low self-esteem, this neurotic, annoying, immature kid who can cause more damage than you'd think, it's all perfectly portrayed here. He is perfect from the opening scene, both sympathetic and infuriating, and I think it's the highlight of the movie. 

The other biggest factor for me was the cinematography. It's shot by Deakens who, I'll be honest, I didn't really know before this, but one look at his filmography and it's clear he's the goat. I read that he was inspired by Days of Heaven which I'm on the record as describing as the beautiful movie I've ever seen, so that all checks out. It's all long, lingering, beautiful scenes of authentic life in the 1880s that I could watch all day, but then combined with evocative, atmospheric shots like the one shown above. Beautiful stuff, especially combined with a wonderful score. 

The writing feels pulled right out of history and is a constant highlight. Even the character's reaction to death, something that is just a part of the tough West, made this movie feel that much more immersive. People die in undignifying ways, corpses look like corpses, and actions have consequences. It really feels similar in nature to Lonesome Dove of Red Dead 2, both the gritty realism and dreamy romanticism of the West that keeps me constantly coming back to this genre. 

This feels like an early contender for my favorite movie this year. It's got other good qualities - did I mention Brad Pitt is in this? -- and a movie I feel I'll come back to. 

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