Ben Affleck’s prohibition-era gangster story of a former soldier-turned-bootlegger in 1930s Boston, Live by Night, boasts a celebrated author and Oscar winner but despite its lofty pedigree, the final results leave much to be desired.
Affleck stars as Joe Coughlin, the son of a Boston Police Chief who chose the allure of the street life over walking in his father’s footsteps. He finds himself in the middle of a turf war between two rival mob bosses, one of whom he is carrying on a discreet affair with his girlfriend (Sienna Miller).
Much like Damien Chazelle’s throwback to 1940s and 50s song and dance films in La La Land, Affleck similarly revisits Hollywood’s glorious gangster film era. Unfortunately, neither the combination of celebrated author Dennis Lehane nor the star power of Affleck could save this film, which couldn’t make up its mind on what it quite wants to be.
Live by Night was written, directed, co-produced by, and starring Ben Affleck, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The film also stars Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Cooper.
Check out the review, below:
Grade: C+