The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (R) Grade: A

Portraying one of the nation's most well-known and cherished heroes must be a daunting and awe-inspiring task. With so many possibilities for pitfalls, a film must capture the portrait perfectly or suffer public outcry for butchering the story's long-followed tradition. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is not condemned to the latter. It is a masterpiece that will please movie fans for years to come.\nRobert Ford (Casey Affleck) has worshipped Jesse James (Brad Pitt) since he was a child. And so, at the end of the bandit's career, when James needs a new crew, Ford is one of the first to sign up. But after committing his first murder and witnessing firsthand James' brutality, Ford's new ambition is that of fame. He takes on the task of killing the dastardly folk hero and becomes a celebrity for all the wrong reasons.\nThe interaction in the film between Pitt and Affleck is like watching an intense dance, methodical and elegant but bursting with the fury and rage of a thunderstorm. Writer and director Andrew Dominik paints a tragic picture of Jesse James that will have audiences wanting to forgive all his sins, and Pitt captures the tortured outlaw with flawless grace. Affleck's vision of Ford's self-illusion and awkward cowardice is a great performance and shows the sadness that comes with killing a legend, bringing the actor into his own as one of the best of this generation. The film's true greatness, however, comes in the tragic interaction between the two, each one so ingrained in the life of the other that they are almost one character in a story of self-hatred and capitulation.\n"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is a film that any person who calls themselves a movie fan cannot miss. Thus far it is the best film of the year, and it seems unlikely that it will not receive a nod for best picture at the 80th Academy Awards, along with a definite nomination for Affleck and very likely one for Pitt as well.