They don't make movies like this very often any more, and it's a shame. I enjoyed this year's other notable Western,
3:10 to Yuma, but the two films are so different I wonder if they belong in the same genre. While
Yuma keeps its tense countdown filled with white-nuckle shoot-outs,
Assassination fills its run time with wonderfully layered tension, punctuated with brief scenes of shocking violence. Add to that stellar performaces by Pitt, Affleck, and the entire supporting cast, and you've got the best Western of the decade.