As the saying goes, "Time will tell." As much as acknowledging any particular excellence, awards, in my opinion, are primarily snapshots of contemporary feelings, politics, state of society, etc. I think "Jesse James" is the best and most haunting film of the year, with the most creepily moving performance of the year (Casey Affleck)and technical achievements by the peerless Roger Deakins and the shamefully un-nominated costume designer, Patricia Norris, that will continue to affect, inspire and awe viewers in future years long after some of this year's significant Oscar nominees seem like "Gandhi," "Ordinary People," and "In the Heat of the Night." Warner Bros. should be shamed and ridiculed for throwing away "Jesse James."

Posted by: fatboy | 2/20/2008 3:37:02 PM

I don't think it's missing an action scene; you want an action-oriented Western, check out 3:10 To Yuma. Jesse James was a contemplative Western and is more of a chamber drama about these two guys that anything else. I have been watching the film every night for the past two weeks (my fiancee is about to kill me) and I just can't get enough of it. This is the Oscar snub to end all Oscar snubs in my book. The film is a piece of art that should have been recognized. The idea that a cloying, annoying little film like Juno could get a best picture nomination over a film like Jesse James just goes to show you how meaningless and irrelevant the Oscars really are. Jesse James sucks the viewer in from it's opening frames and never looks back; it's a masterwork, something that a film like Juno, is not.

Posted by: actionman | 2/20/2008 1:37:32 PM

Kris, I hate to say this, but I think Dominik should have included an "Action Scene" in the second act of the movie. After the train robbery, movie kinda slows down . That is not to say I didn't enjoy the awkward relationship between Affleck and Pitt -- I did, but I think Dominik forgot about keeping the narrative moving. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the movie but it’s missing something in the second act, I think anyway.

Posted by: Mr. Gittes | 2/20/2008 10:43:55 AM