Release date:December 25, 2016
(limited; wide: Jan. 13)
Studio:Warner Bros. Pictures
Director:Ben Affleck
MPAA Rating:R (for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity)
Screenwriter:Ben Affleck
Starring:Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper
Genre:Drama, Thriller, Crime
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The gangster film has been done three times over and now Mr. Affleck has added another entry with Live by Night. Set in the 1920’s and Prohibition Era America Ben Affleck plays Joe Coughlin, a war veteran and Boston’s resident robbery artist. He’s a supposed good man who does bad stuff, a true outlaw in his own mind. After pulling a robbery on one of Boston’s most notorious mob bosses he ends up on the business end of a gun. Now, he is out for revenge and he may have to lose the good man he is to get the revenge he desires.
I enjoyed the movie but I can’t really say there was anything that stood out especially. It was one of those movies that felt like it was going to be better but it just was. Good enough to give me viewing pleasure but not enough for me to be able to remember too much of what happened on screen. The performances were alright but nothing to write home about. I think that is mostly because the star of the film, Affleck is almost the same guy in every film. Look at him as Batman, Doug MacRay from The Town, and Joe from Live By Night and tell me those aren’t the same performances. 3 different characters in 3 separate films all pulled off the same way.
I think the potential was there in the story but the execution not so much. The feeling of been there done that from a performance stand point out of the leading man also left a bad taste in my mouth. End of the day this movie something you can watch but will take much of nothing away from it.
