I went into this movie like most people. I thought I was going to see a shoot em up Western movie. Assassination is not like that at all. There are only a handful of scenes that involve guns or action. In reality this is a story surronding the events around the end of Jesse James' life. At this point in his story he is not concerned with robbing people or killing them. He is interested in living an honest life and being a good husband. Casey Affleck provides an amazing role. I saw him in all of the Oceans movies and he did not play much of a role. This movie, to me, is his breakout role. He plays a cold and remorseless character. Although this movie is EXTREMELY slow moving the end is well worth the wait. I could not have asked for a more perfect ending. The movie felt real, the characters felt real and if you can sit down for almost three hours you should enjoy this.

The realism of the character portrayal reminds me of a Robert Altman movie. The languid pacing reminds me of an Andrei Tarkovsky movie. The narration reminds me of a Ken Burns project. Casey Affleck should get an oscar nomination; he conveys so much emotion and uncertainty with his eyes at first but he changes as the action proceeds: a subtle performance. This title should get snapped up by Criterion, as this is a film that deserves repeated viewing. Just wish I had not ordered the medium drink, it got rather painful by the end, perhaps making the narration based action drag even more. The fact that I did not dash out early attests to the power of the production.

I totally agree with above reviewer who stated that people who didn't like this movie have short attention spans. Just another symptom of our fast food Walmart nation and what it's doing to people's minds. This movie is a work of art! The cinematography is breathtaking, and the performances are utterly captivating and believable. It's a drama that gets into the minds of both James and Ford, and attempts to capture the humanity and tragedy of both. You may see bits of yourself or people you know, and it may make you think a little--which is, after all, the POINT of art. Do yourself a favor, take a break from the mind spinningly fast-paced, high-gloss / low-content of most of today's fillms and go see a REAL movie!

This movie is a modern masterpiece. Every aspect of this film was flawless. The first point I must talk about is the amazing acting that single-handedly makes this film so memorable. Casey Affleck's portrayal of the "coward" Robert Ford is a performance that will be remembered for years. He plays a character that audiences have been waiting to see for years. He is amazing. He puts his heart and soul into every single one of his lines and it shows. His acting alone should be reason enough to see this film, however, every aspect of the film is great. Jesse James is easily Brad Pitt's best performance ever and it's a shame that he's not getting more recognition from American critics. The score of the film, by Nick Caves, is hauntingly beautiful. The music for every scene is gorgeous and really fits what's going on in the character's minds. The cinematography is revelatory; the whole film looks like an old picture. Best film of 2007.

The duel of wits and will between the characters played by Pitt and Affleck are mesmerizing. The eye contact and body language of these characters are as close as you can get to bringing in the audience to the tension. The words and deliivery are delicious as is reading a great book. This is a classic and will be seen over and over again by fans who relish great filmmaking. Genevieve