The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

A different critic used the word indulgent to describe this movie. And I have to say that 2 1/2 hours of sepia tones and longing looks and pregnant pauses does get to be a literal pain in the ass. No other way to put it. Luckily, I was at one of those luxurious theaters with padded leather chairs and great ice cream and my friends Liz and Brian. Brad Pitt looks older and worn out- like his character. He does a great job with the sadistic Jesse James. Casey Affleck does a great job staying in character as the dim-witted but determined Robert Ford. The James gang comes across as thugs and Jesse is the biggest thug of all. When Robert Ford finally shoots him, we are relieved it's over. We have, after all, waited for 2 1/2 damn hours to see it. Ford's end is sad but the viewer doesn't care because we only like movies that have honor among their thieves. Not one of the James' gang has honor. It's always interesting to see films that remind us there was not always a photo on the nightly news or internet or a 911 number when the bad guys were in town. This is a brutal, somewhat vicious film that moves at a snail's pace- intriguing, but nonetheless annoying. The book is actually probably faster to read since it is a paperback and is relatively short! Spoiler alert: you will have to look at Mary Louise Parker on the big screen and that takes courage. BUT if you like Brad Pitt and/or Casey Affleck, they are on the screen for a looonnngggg time.