There have been a million-and-one westerns about Jesse James, most of them about as historically inaccurate as they could possibly be; but writer/ director Andrew Dominik’s film (based on the novel by Ron Hansen) tries to set the record straight about a disturbed, paranoid killer and his stalker fan.

It is the early 1880s. Jesse James (Pitt) and his brother, Frank (Sam Shepard) are running out of time. Most of their gang are either dead or in prison, so they resort to recruiting from the lower echelons of Montana society, including Robert Ford (Affleck) and his brother Charley (Rockwell) to help them with their robberies. Frank, sensing the end is near from lawmen and those seeking the reward money, decides to break up the group and head north to retire, but Jesse has other ideas. Nineteen-year-old Robert Ford sees his opportunity to get closer than ever to his hero, worming his way into Jesse’s family home; however it is not long before the outlaw grows paranoid about the other gang members’ intentions and his relationship with the Ford brothers turns sour.

The revisionist western has become the norm of late, but this picture is far from generic. The photography is first rate and the performances, most notably from Pitt and Affleck stand out, slowly revealing how friendships can change from adulation into hate. The only thing that might prove to be a problem for some viewers is the length, clocking in at two and a half hours, although watching it in one’s own home obviously has its advantages. The DVD comes in two packages: a single disc version and two disc collectors edition packed with extras. If, dear reader, you are going to buy a western this year, then it should be this one.

(4/5)