"Live By Night" Not Affleck's Best, but Not Bad Either

  

   So, January is a weird month for movies. The big push for Oscar contenders at the end of the year is usually met with mediocre movies throughout the beginning of the new year. It's an interesting trend that seems to always come to be. The first new movie I've seen in 2017 was one that I was interested in simply because of its director. Live By Night is the latest film to star Ben Affleck, who also directs the film. Affleck has a pretty substantial track record when it comes to his directorial outings. I've loved each and every one. He not only can act with the best of them, but he has such a keen eye for well-framed scenes and seamless storytelling. The combination of his acting and directing is what has everyone excited for his solo Batman film, of which he is writing, directing and of course starring. Live By Night is an interesting movie. I wouldn't say it's his best, but it's still worth checking out.

   Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, the movie takes place in the 1920s during the Prohibition Era. Affleck plays Joe Coughlin, a small time crook who robs to get rich but wants nothing to do with the mob lifestyle. When carnal desires overtake him, he falls in love with Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), the girlfriend of Boston's major crime boss Albert White (Robert Glenister). Things go awry and Joe finds himself in Florida working for White's enemy and eventually becomes the big time show-runner in Florida. It's a story about organized crime, love, loss, ambition, and the power of violence and influence in early America. Joe doesn't want to be a gangster, but in order to live the life he wants, he must become the thing he wished not to be.

   The movie is just over two hours and you can feel it. The narrative makes sense, but feels a bit sluggish at times. There are some characters that feel a bit underused; here one minute and gone the next. Sometimes that can be jarring when you spend time to develop a character and then suddenly they disappear. It is fairly clear that Joe is our protagonist, despite his criminality. However, the movie juggles various antagonists that it makes the story feel just a teensy bit unfocused. Don't get me wrong, the movie makes sense, it's just that there's a lot going on. The third act of the film is by far the best part and unfortunately it felt a bit rushed. There is a somewhat anticlimactic ending (spoilers?) but in retrospect I guess it makes sense. The action sequences are really quite good, and the cinematography was really beautiful at times. Affleck knows how to shoot beautiful movies, each one having their own distinct look and feel. Live By Night is no different, and despite its flaws, it's still a beautiful film to look at.

The acting is also really well done. Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana (who plays another love interest for Affleck) have some really emotional scenes that tug at the heart. Besides Affleck, who always delivers a wonderful performance, two of the stand outs for me in this movie were father and daughter Chief Figgis and Loretta Figgis played by Chris Cooper and Elle Fanning respectively. They're smaller roles but each of them give really powerful performances. Fanning is like 18 or 19 years old and is definitely one of the more apt up-and-coming actors of our day. She's really great in the film, tapping into some truly emotional scenes that carry quite a bit of weight. One scene in particular she shares with Affleck in a diner and she holds her own against him. And Chris Cooper, well, he's good in just about anything he does.

   As a whole, the movie is alright. It's not Affleck's best but it's not terrible either. When it comes to directors I have my favorites, however I pay particular attention to filmmakers who strive to do it all, and by all I mean write, act and direct the film. One of those jobs alone is hard enough, so to be able to take on all three and deliver a product that is still cohesive, aesthetically pleasing, and entertaining to boot is definitely worth noting. Affleck is one of those guys today who can juggle all of these jobs and do so in a way that garnishes films worthy of Oscar praise. That clout goes a long way and I can't wait to see what he does with the next solo Batman film. Until then, check out Live By Night. It's a fun gangster movie that is comparable and entertaining.