If you live in New York or Los Angeles the ONLY movie on your radar tonight should be The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. A masterwork by Andrew Dominik, the film is gorgeous and gripping from beginning to end. Jesse James isn’t a film for those who are tempted to see Resident Evil, but it is a film for those who want more out of their movies: more great acting, more wonderful cinematography, more moments of transcendent brilliance.
My review of the movie remains delayed by the fact that I find it hard to write about truly great films; my own poor writing stands out in stark contrast to the brilliance I’m talking about, which is why it’s easier to just rag on terrible films. I will finish my review of the movie, though, because it’s a film that continues to work its magic on me more than a month after I’ve seen it.
Here’s Russ’ excellent review in the meantime.
If you live in Los Angeles and New York not only do you owe it to yourself to go to this film, you owe it to your fellow film lovers in other markets; by voting for Jesse James with your dollar, you’ll be giving Warner Bros the message that people want to see this film (and that’s a message they REALLY need to hear), and then they’ll take it wider. If you don’t go this weekend, this movie could wind up as one of those films that most of America discovers on DVD, and the stunning shots in this movie need to be seen on a big screen.