Letters to the Editor

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"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Brad Pitt squints, Casey Affleck mumbles, and audiences may just nap through this flat, finicky western.
By Stephanie Zacharek [2007-09-21]
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  • Interesting

    I loved it.

    I didn't expect to make it through awake, but it drew me in like nothing I've seen in quite a while. Perhaps if you keep your expectations low and your caffeine intake high, you'll be able to look past the length and really let yourself get into the film. I haven't been able to get it out of my head.

    -- wolfegirl
    [Read wolfegirl's other letters]
    Thursday, September 20, 2007 06:37 PM

  • Thanks Stephanie

    Very funny - well written and interesting too.

    -- LauraBB
    [Read LauraBB's other letters]
    Thursday, September 20, 2007 06:49 PM

  • jesse james

    oh my... i'll see the movie regardless..

    but for anyone out there interested in jj, or in johnny cash or levon helms at the pinnacle of their talent, may i recommend the cd of paul kennerley's "the legend of jesse james," with helms as jesse, cash as frank, charlie daniels as cole younger, emmylou harris as zerelda, rodney crowell, rosanne cash, etc. great music. you can find it on ebay.

    -- beuchel
    [Read beuchel's other letters]
    Friday, September 21, 2007 02:36 AM

  • Oh Stephanie!

    I have no idea if I'll agree with your assessment, but your review is LOL hilarious!

    It does sound pretentious, and your review does what needs to be done in such a situation-give a few pokes with a sharp stick.

    This part:

    it's as if he occasionally wanders in from his trailer to squint meaningfully or quizzically at one or another of his costars, only to retreat again

    had me howling! That is exactly what it looks like to me from the trailers. Maybe he and Angelina both should start looking into making entertainment instead of constantly seeking to burnish their SERIOUS credentials-they might actually have a little success.

    -- sunny miller
    [Read sunny miller's other letters]
    Friday, September 21, 2007 07:21 AM

  • Yikes!

    Sorry for the formatting snafu.

    -- sunny miller
    [Read sunny miller's other letters]
    Friday, September 21, 2007 07:22 AM

  • A different take entirely

    For a completely different take on this movie, please read the review at filmfreakcentral.net: "...Jesse James is close to three hours of slow, trancelike contemplation of details of place, character, time."

    I haven't seen this one, but the gulf between these 2 reviews suggests to me that this movie is the kind that -- if you Get it -- you find it amazing...but if it doesn't resonate with you (for whatever reason), you'll find it depressingly boring.

    e.g., I loved A Scanner Darkly, while my hubby found it alienating and disorienting. Some art is like that. No hard feelings.

    -- riddlerhet
    [Read riddlerhet's other letters]
    Friday, September 21, 2007 09:14 AM

  • My Take

    It's a shame that Bob Ford shot Mr. James. I'd have much rather seen him go to the gallows.

    -- Paul in KY
    [Read Paul in KY's other letters]
    Friday, September 21, 2007 11:10 AM

  • Trying to suck another drop of blood from ancient bones!

    How many times is Hollywood going to fall back on these limited Jesse James,Billy the Kid,Wyatt Erp legends for another,weak storyline? They're like "make work projects" for stagnated (over priced) actors and studios.

    The one positive thing about this western though is that it didn't have a dolt equal to Russell Crowe in it! Yehaw!!!

    -- King of the Chill
    [Read King of the Chill's other letters]
    Saturday, September 22, 2007 01:17 AM

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