porkloin
Good grief - nothing new here, and most of it is a lame effort at retracing the steps done by many an earlier movie. Okay then - "fighting the KKK" ha ha ha very funny, Ben; get a grip. As if....
1914
Very lavish sets. The Godfather mixed with Gone with the Wind in set design. Sadly Ben Affleck isn't worthy of the effort that went into the props,locations & vintage customs. What a waste,you could have remade Godfather 1,2 & 3 with the recycled props, costumes & extras . Affleck is bland ,boring & miscast...he's to much of himself.He can't switch out of his own wooden personality especially as he ages...that dimpled cuteness & boyish charm has finally faded.His character should be selling insurance in 1930's Miami instead of bootlegging Gin.I know this review is harsh,but as a career consular he should stick with dry romantic comedies...from the late 1990's. Now if he was a fly fisherman next to a gangster hideout "River Runs Through the Speakeasy" his range of emotions could be better utilized. His method acting is a perfect rendition of a Wall Street yuppie robbing your pension fund circa 2000-2008 ...not a 1930's Irish gangster. Affleck pretending to be tough guy getaway driver in Chicago...it's funny.Mr. Dimples also adds religion & race relations...the dujour of Hollywood for the past decade. But it all falls flat. Snooze-fest flat on the couch flat. I napped & one hour latter I felt I hadn't missed anything except a change of costumes, Should have called the move ZZZzzz.Affleck the stiff failed to make a classic..but he gainfully tries copying expensive scenes or moods taken straight outa "Once Upon a Time in America ,Miller's Crossing ,Road to Perdition"...at the cost of $65 million. I could have done the same for under $100 by copying YouTube clips of those classics.Actually Affleck is a gangster...$65 million,not a bad days work.
marcar912
Ben Affleck proves once again that he cannot write, direct, produce and star in a movie. He has failed to create an interesting picture despite the fascinating material he has at hand. First, the novel by Dennis Lehane; second, the territory of gangland Boston and Florida during Prohibition; third and finally, a cast of great actors in the supporting roles from Brendan Gleeson to Elle Fanning, Chris Messina and Chris Cooper. Why isn't this a good movie? It should be, but Affleck once again does not seem to be able to take the helm wearing all those hats and produce a great movie. The stereotypes abound, the women are cardboard cutouts and the Godfather it ain't. I read this movie was originally going to run to three hours, before Warner Bros forced Affleck to cut it. As it is, at a few minutes over 2 hours, I can't imagine sitting through more of this boring, snail-paced and dull gangster film. Don't waste your time on Live By Night: watch the Untouchables, rent the Godfather trilogy or, better yet, go outside and take a long walk instead.
bkoganbing
In a theme that goes back at least to James Cagney in The Roaring 20s, Ben Affleck plays a disillusioned war veteran who having seen the promises of a just world and peace not coming to fruition has decided since he's learned the trade of killing decides to make use of it by becoming a criminal. It's hard for Affleck who produced, directed, and stars in Live By Night as he is the son of a police chief in Boston.He gets caught up in a turf war between rival gangsters Remo Girone and Robert Glenister after a narrow escape from death and a prison term goes to work for Girone who asks him to organize in Florida and he chooses Tampa as his base. Affleck has to deal with other gangsters, the Ku Klux Klan, and holy roller revivalists and in the end there's one big shootout with his crew and his former Boston associates.Three women have prominent roles here, Elle Fanning who was degraded in Hollywood and then becomes an Aimee Semple McPherson revivalist, Zoe Saldana daughter of a local Cuban rum importer who with Affleck breaks all kinds of racist taboos in Dixie Florida when she gets involved with him, and Sienna Miller who was originally involved with both Affleck and Glenister at the same time.The ambiance of both 20s Boston and 20s/30s Tampa is well done here. Affleck also gets good performances out of his entire ensemble and take note of Chris Cooper as a redneck sheriff and Fanning's father, Cooper's brother-in-law is Matthew Maher whose bigotry as both the local Klan Kleagle is frightening and repellent, Chris Messina as Affleck's right hand guy, and Max Casella as the mutt son of Girone who has it in for Affleck. What he lacks in brains he makes up for in bile.Director Affleck also got actor Affleck to give a great performance in the lead. Live By Night is an old fashioned gangster flick with some current themes.
AD
