For someone who is not the least bit aware of recent US history and about Jesse James, this movie still leaves a strong impression. It is patient, slow burn and is exquisitely shot in slow deliberate frames.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a mouthful title. It tells a story of an American outlaw, Jesse Woodson James. This guy was responsible for many train and bank robberies and looking at his wiki page, the public had a soft spot for him, as they considered him a real-life embodiment of Robin Hood. After most of Jesse's gang was depleted, he only relied on the Ford brothers, who later conspired and killed Jesse James. This is not a spoiler and being an adaptation, it is already a well-known fact.

The movie stands out for his slow and deliberate pacing as if depicting a quiet laid back life of US small towns back in the day. From the train robberies to old creaky houses, the camera moves purposefully through each frame. The long shots of the sun through the window, the open farmlands, the snow-covered landscapes are hauntingly beautiful.

Apart from the beautiful frames, the slow pace works like a slow psychological burn, it feels like the fuse that inches towards the ending which is not a surprise. We know towards the end, that the uncomfortable silences, the paranoia of mistrust surrounds the leads like a thick impenetrable fog. I could feel the increasing pressure it puts on till the last second. Many times, the movies I have seen fail to rightly capture the intense stress before an important moment, this movie captures it quite well.

Bradd Pitt is comfortably relaxed on screen as always. His is rattled only a few times, which feels out of character for him at times, but as a portrayal of Jesse James, he is wonderful. Casey Affleck is splendid in his depiction of unsure but cocky Robert Ford. The cowardice with which he is attributed to shows in his unstable mannerisms. He is torn between emotions. His journey from buoyant wannabe member to a government operative felt convincing.

For someone not from the United States, the accent was hard to understand at times, but subtitles helped.

It was a recommendation under a well-shot film, and it delivers on those grounds. Recommended.