Released: January 2017
Rated R
Director: Ben Affleck
Run Time: 125 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Genre: Crime Thriller
Cast:
Ben Affleck: Joe Coughlin
Elle Fanning: Loretta Figgis
Remo Girone: Maso Pescatore
Brendan Gleeson: Thomas Coughlin
Robert Glenister: Albert White
Matthew Maher: RD Pruitt
Chris Messina: Dion Bartolo
Sienna Miller: Emma Gould
Zoe Saldana: Graciela
The gangster film has been an absolute staple of American cinema since the early 1930s with films like Howard Hawke’s Scarface, Little Caesar, and The Public Enemy. Gangster movies would often take place from the perspective of the gangsters being portrayed. The genre has endured for decades and reached a new milestone during the 60s with films like Bonnie And Clyde. But the genre would be set in stone as one of the best genres due to the release and success of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather in 1972. The Godfather changed everything about the gangster film and elevated American cinema to all-new heights. From The Godfather, not only did we get an astounding sequel, but we saw more and more gangster movies being made as a result. In 1983, Al Pacino would star in the Brian de Palma re-make of Scarface which would become iconic in its own right. Serpico, Carlito’s Way, Goodfellas, and Casino would also leave an indelible mark on the industry. It made absolute sense that film-makers would try to recreate the success of The Godfather with films like Heat, Public Enemies, American Gangster, and Ben Affleck’s recent gangster opus, Live By Night.
Ben Affleck stars as Joe Coughlin, a former World War I soldier who has seen too much bloodshed and is out to live by his own rules. After robbing a bank, he hooks up with Emma, who also happens to be the girlfriend of the notorious Irish gangster Albert White. White is in a war with his Italian rival, Maso Pescatore. After running afoul of Albert White, Joe ends up being left for dead. As a result of three cops being killed, Joe, with the aid of his father, Tom Coughlin, is sentenced to three years in prison. After getting released from prison, Joe goes to Pescatore for help settling a score with White. Joe is then allowed to take over rum-running operations in Florida to compete directly with White. Along the way, Joe falls in love with Graciela, who happens to be the sister of a Cuban gangster. Joe realizes he may have bitten off more than he can chew when the KKK begin to interfere along with Albert White’s men. Setting the film during the Prohibition was a very interesting idea. The original Scarface was set during this period and there’s a lot of story potential to be had during this turbulent time in American history. Prohibition gave rise to people like Al Capone who would become the main source for alcohol….for a price. Setting Live By Night during that period was an interesting idea. However, the story suffers from an overabundance of subplots, including one that involves a police captain’s daughter being involved in blackmail to get the police chief to give up his brother-in-law who is a member of the local chapter of the KKK. The subplots are interesting enough on their own, but when you put them in a film together, it brings the entire experience to a halt. As a result, the pacing is very uneven with story that is not as fleshed out as well as it could be and characters that aren’t really that compelling. For a gangster movie set during Prohibition, these issues bring the film down a great deal.
While the story and characters may have taken a major hit, everything else about the film is simply top-notch. The production values are absolutely amazing. This film is beautifully shot, with amazing sets and costumes. There is certainly a level authenticity involved as some of the film was shot on location in Boston which played heavily into the gangster activities during the 20s and 30s. The film was also shot in Savannah, Georgia. It’s not just the sets that are spectacular, but also the environments. It’s a beautiful film to look at. The costumes are absolutely phenomenal. The detail on the suits and the Fedoras are just incredible. Everything is very period-specific, even right down to the jewelry that the women wear. Ben Affleck spared no expense making Live By Night look as authentic as possible.
The acting is another area in which the film excels. Everybody here, including Affleck himself, brings their A-game and are just really, really good. Robert Glenister really gives Albert White a very menacing and evil persona as the Irish mobster. Remo Girone is equally fantastic as the Italian. One of the biggest surprises of the film was Elle Fanning. She gives her character of Loretta a very innocent and naive quality that initially makes her quite endearing. But after a traumatic incident, the character changes to a religious and very anti-crime preacher that may not believe what she’s preaching. Chris Cooper plays her father, Chief Figgis. He’s absolutely magnetic whenever he’s on screen. Cooper is that damned good. Zoe Saldana is lovely as Graciela. She gives Joe something that he’s been missing for years: The opportunity to become a better person. The relationship between the two feels real. Ben Affleck, for all his faults, is on top of his game here. While his Boston accent slips from time to time, there’s no denying that Affleck throws everything he’s got into the role.
Live By Night, being a gangster film, has some really fantastic action set-pieces. The opening sequence in Boston, basically show a city at war with the Italians and the Irish gangs laying waste to each other. People are gunned down with Tommy guns and gangsters are thrown of rooftops. It’s surprisingly brutal. There is a car chase after the first robbery or two that is just mind-blowing considering the cars being involved. There are a couple of action sequences peppered throughout the film, but the film’s climactic battle sequence is really freaking awesome.
Ultimately, Live By Night is not a terrible movie. Not by any stretch of the imagination. The problem is that it tries to do to much and doesn’t connect enough. Ben Affleck, who serves as the film’s producer, director and lead actor, I feel has stretched himself far to thin to really make the film a more compelling experience. If the characters and story were more focused, this would have been another knockout film for Ben Affleck. As it is, Live By Night is his worst directorial effort to date. That being said, if this is the worst that Ben Affleck has to offer, I don’t necessarily think I’m worried about future projects that he may be involved in. I just hope he learns to rein himself in and not take on too many responsibilities. So, can I recommend this film? Yes, I can, if not for the story, but for the visuals, the action and the performances.
My Final Recommendation: When someone makes you an offer you can’t refuse, run. 7.5/10