The Errant Æsthete

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Dearest Aesthete, If you’re not sipping an aperitif while your amply proportioned and blatantly flirtatious Gondolier, who goes by the name, Piéro, navigates you through the dark romantic underworld of the Grand Canal, then shame on you for not being in the right place at the right time. Perhaps you can draw some comfort from this beautifully filmed coming attraction.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is directed and co-written by Andrew Dominik, who also wrote and directed Chopper from 2000. The film, officially premiering at both the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, is due to hit theaters nationwide on September 21st.

The film, an adaptation of Ron Hanson’s painstakingly researched book, brings vivid detail to a true story that has taken on mythic and frequently unreliable proportions. The buzz on this exquisitely picturesque, atmospheric film (Oscar nods are already being extended to Roger Deakins for Best Cinematography) starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck is considerable, with the word “masterpiece” being lavishly tossed throughout. Could it revive, yet again, the western genre in Hollywood?