Top 15 of the 2000s: #9

The much like the previous entry, the next film on my list is part of a genre that has fallen on recent times. And, like the previous entry, #10 is quite different in terms of storytelling conventions. While it certainly fits into its genre, it's a artful, more meditative example that will make you re-think the ways in which these sorts of films can be made. That film and its genre are...





#9. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (2007) by Andrew Dominik: It didn't help this film's prospects in that it was a western, a genre that had long since fallen out of favor in Hollywood. Making things worse? It boasts little to no "action" and suffered delays and re-edits, leading many to worry about the finished product. When the final product finally arrived, some were still not pleased (The New York Times called it, "a gorgeous snooze"), but the film received mostly positive reviews, two well deserved Oscar nominations, and a steadily growing fan base. And many, myself included, would argue that this, and not "3:10 t0 Yuma" (also 2007) is actually the "best western since 'Unforgiven'" (Houston Chronicle). So why is it so damn good? Well, at the risk of spewing Western-blasphemy, because it lacks action; no gunfights, no fist fights in a saloon, no dusty frontier towns, nothing. Instead, we are given a compelling (albeit quite long) look at two men - Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) - and the way their lives interact on the way to the ultimate, tragic consequences. If there's one thing I will agree with the NYT on, it's that the film is gorgeous. Lensed by master cinematographer Roger Deakins (who still doesn't have an Oscar...WHY?), the film is unbelievably gorgeous. The scenes of characters sitting in golden wheat fields, or the way light filters through smoke/steam during the nighttime train robbery scene, are just a few scenes that demonstrate Deakins' brilliance. But of course there's more than just looking pretty, and luckily everyone else is playing at the same level of excellence as Deakins. Pitt, who is infinitely better here than his recent Oscar-nominated turn in "Benjamin Button", makes a surprisingly powerful Jesse James, giving the somewhat mythic western figure a sense of power, while also showing his vulnerabilities, namely in a scene where he begins to beat a young boy before letting him go and quietly crying to himself. But he's also intimidating as hell. During conversations in which his face is filled with confidence, Pitt keeps us on edge, and leaves us wondering what, if anything, will make him snap. Of course, as many have pointed out, the real star of the show is Affleck, a role that some actually consider to be just as much, if not more of, a lead than Pitt (Affleck was nominated for Best Supporting Actor). While I still haven't come to a clear decision on that matter, what I do know is that Affleck's performance is a work of quietly unsettling excellence. Never going into hysterics or over-the-top idiosyncrasies, the most telling sign of his character is in his manner of speech, which leads James' uncle to say early on in the film, "you give me the creeps, boy". But even better is when the fame-hungry Ford rattles off an eerie list of similarities between he and James. The combination of Affleck's sullen attitude and Pitt's intimidating presence is what I'd like to call "quietly electrifying". Aiding these two superb performances are a whole host of small supporting roles, including Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Garrett Dillahunt, Allison Elliot, and Zooey Deschanel. The only weak link of the cast is Mary Louise Parker as James' wife. There's nothing wrong with 99% of this small role, but in Parker's one "BIG SCENE", she's less compelling and more awkward. Luckily she's a tiny tiny tiny part of the film, and there's still more to compensate. Andrew Dominik's superb, level-headed direction keeps the story moving along, and the massive 2 hr 45 min film rarely lags. The mood and tone are both beautifully established by Dominik and crew. Last and certainly not least by any means is Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' gorgeously elegiac score, which soars in several spots, without ever becoming overwhelming; it always stays in sync with the meditative tone of events on screen. So while Dominik's work was sorely ignored and the box office and only marginally better recognized in Awards Season, it stands as a long, elegiac, character driven work of art, bolstered by two compelling co-lead performances that is haunting in sight and sound. It may be quiet, but it's anything but a snooze.

Final Grade: A

Best Performance: Casey Affleck

Best Scene: This may be Deakins' crowning moment in the whole film, especially towards the beginning...