The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007): review: 3/10

The last days of Jesse James and his gang, which largely focusses on the behavious of his young follower Robert Ford.
The story is told through a series of mumbling encounters in wintry Missouri.


The film can be judged a failure for the following reasons:


1. Pacing painfully slow.
2. Lack of examination of character and motive, with the exception of Robert Ford's, which is dwelt on to the point of exhaustion.
3. Few exciting moments: remarkable given that this is a gangster film.
4.  Pitt's silly hamster smirk throughout.
5. The cinematography is beautiful, especially in the train robbery scene but this is not, in itself, enough to justify such a long film.