Susan Hated Literature

Jan 08 2008

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Published by Fence under Moving Pictures

Writ & Dir: Andrew Dominik ; based on the book by Ron Hansen

Brad Pitt … Jesse James
Mary-Louise Parker … Zee James
Casey Affleck … Robert Ford
Sam Rockwell … Charley Ford
Jeremy Renner … Wood Hite
Sam Shepard … Frank James
Garret Dillahunt … Ed Miller
Paul Schneider … Dick Liddil

I loved this film.

I loved everything about it. The acting was brilliant. The way the story unfolded. The narration. The casting. The scenery. The cinematography. The soundtrack. Everything was just great. Best film I’ve seen this year. Which’d be a higher compliment if this wasn’t the first film I’ve been to see so far this year. But I’m guessing it’ll be up on the top ten list by the end of 2008.

Tags: 10 Stars, 1860-1890, Andrew Dominik, based on book, betrayal, biopic, Brad Pitt, C19th, Casey Affleck, character driven, Garret Dilahunt, Jeremy Renner, Jesse James, Mary-Louise Parker, murder, Paul Schneider, R15A, Ron Hansen, Sam Rockwell, Sam Shepard, The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert F, USA - western

11 responses so far

Dec 01 2006

The Departed

Published by Fence under Moving Pictures

Dir: Martin Scorsese
Writ: William Monahan based on previous screenplay by Siu Fai Mak & Felix Chong

Leonardo DiCaprio - Billy Costigan
Matt Damon - Colin Sullivan
Jack Nicholson - Frank Costello
Mark Wahlberg - Dignam
Martin Sheen - Oliver Queenan
Ray Winstone - Mr. French
[Alec Baldwin - Ellerby

It took me a while, but I finally managed to go see this film last night, and now I want to go again, because it really is fantastic. Bloody, violent, full of no-good nastiness and general scumbaggery. But wonderful to watch all the same.

The film begins “some years ago” where we see a young Colin Sullivan being approached by local bad-guy-boss Costello and groomed to join the police force and become a mole. Billy Costigan also joins the police force, but he is sent out as an undercover cop to infiltrate Costello’s gang. Sullivan meanwhile has succeeded in rising through the force and is now doing the exact opposite, infiltrating the police for Costello’s benefit.

Thematically the film is mainly concerned with betrayal and family and loyalty. Both DiCaprio and Damon are playing the character of a rat, but in very different ways, and I’d have to say that DiCaprio plays it better. Or maybe just got the better role. Damon is great as the cocky, upwardly mobile cop, but it is DiCaprio’s character who has more emotion and development to explore.

All the acting is top-notch, though on occasion I thought Nicholson went a little over the top. It could be argued that his character is over the top, so we’ll let it go. It is two and half hours of a great film, you won’t notice the time passing at all.