If 3:10 to Yuma has you craving more western material, rent the past seasons of Deadwood. Trust me, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is just as bloated as its title would suggest. You've probably heard that Brad Pitt is great as the legendary outlaw. He is. But you'll figure that out in the first half hour and wonder why there's still two hours-plus left to go. If, instead, Pitt were to portray James in the full life story of Jesse James, you'd likely have some pretty riveting material. Instead, director Andrew Dominik (Chopper) tries to make an epic film based on material that simply isn't epic. This story is about the final days of James and his budding friendship with his sycophantic young friend, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). Affleck's performance is stellar as well, but like Pitt, he seems to find himself wallowing within a sea of bloated material. Opt to peruse a portion of these performances on video or TV a little later, because sitting through this one quickly becomes less entertainment and more chore.
ReelzChannel Rating: 