The award for longest title goes to... (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (DVD))

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (DVD)
Date:	09/09/09 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: acting

Disadvantages: plot a little predictable

There have been a spat of westerns over the last few years, with the excellent 3 10 to Yuma leading the way, but here it's Brad Pitt's turn to try his hand at the wild west.

Robert Ford, a longtime fan of the cowboy Jesse James, wants nothing more than to join his hero and his gang, but when he gets there things aren't quite as rosy as he had hoped.

Rumour has it Brad Pitt only agreed to take the film as long as it kept its title, and that makes one of the oddest film titles I think I've ever seen!

This is an excellent Western, full of the conventions of the genre: horses, cowboy hats, saloons and steam trains all fill this epic movie. And epic it is, at 160 minutes it goes beyond your casual film and gets into something quite different.

The plot is interesting if not a tad predictable, but the characters are so well enacted that you really get into it. Pitt continues to prove himself more than just a pretty face with his brilliant portrayal of the eponymous hero but he doesn't outshine the others, who all stand their own ground.

The biggest question to ask is why make a western? What can a new film maker bring to the genre that hasn't already been done? The answer is not that clear in this film, as it is certainly good but does it do anything new? I don't think it does. That doesn't mean it's not a good film; cinematographically, it's a beautifully shot movie, and the whole thing oozes coolness, but a hardcore fan of the genre may find little to elevate it above its much older peers.

All in all, a nice enough film for the casual film lover, but Western fans of the hardcore stance may find little to inspire.

Summary: do it