Sam Rockwell's performance in "Jesse James" is some kind of a miracle

"There is this thing Sam Rockwell does...." is something that you can say about his every performance. How hilariously his eyes widen when he is displeased as someone is singing terribly during audition in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or when his kid walks in the bedroom killing any hope of him getting to have sex with his wife in Poltergeist. The stutter, which actually happened accidentally in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His occasionally high pitched voice he uses with such funny effect, for example in Frost/Nixon as shocked and appalled he quotes what Nixon just said "Daddy, you're the finest man I know?!". The way he grabs women by their clothes and pulls them into a kiss (Laggies/Welcome to Collinwood).  Or how he jumps down a small flight of stairs in Matchstick Men.

And the dancing. Always the dancing.

Scene of the Week - The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford

What must be done

directed by Andrew Dominik

The scene: In a titular scene of Andrew Dominik's masterful picture, we observe the fear, anxiety and sadness in a form of almost a dance that is happening right before our eyes. With beautiful "What must be done" by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis playing in the background, treacherous Robert Ford (Casey Affleck ) and reluctant Charley Ford (Sam Rockwell, in one of his finest performances) prepare to kill Jesse James (Brad Pitt).

James can clearly sense what is about to happen - he looks at his daughter through the window, focusing on every little detail as Robert and Charley try to compose themselves, wordlessly - Robert clearly battles with an idea of killing his friend and mentor, while Charley already shows the signs of immense sadness and despair he will experience after committing the murder, as he raises his armed hand with much resignation, in an apologetic way.

As Jesse says "Don't that picture look dusty?" and approaches the picture of the horse, he sees Robert aiming at him with a gun in its reflection. If Jesse didn't turn his back to him, who knows if Robert would shoot, if he was able to see his face. When the shot is fired, that beautiful, subtle, incredibly orchestrated scene erupts with violence and blood in a matter of seconds as Jesse is shot, hits his head on the picture and dies. He turns from the living hero into cold, lifeless corpse in a matter of seconds and the break the scene provides - from dreamlike, slow and delicate movement prior to the shot to the frenzy after it, only amplifies it.