LIVE BY NIGHT (2016) - Movie Review

Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Saldana, Chris Cooper, Chris Messina, Remo Girone, Sienna Miller, Titus Welliver, Clark Gregg, Anthony Michael Hall
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Writer: Ben Affleck
Runtime: 129 min
Rated: R for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

This blog is supported by its audience. When you buy through links on my blog, I may earn an affiliate commission.

Synopsis:

It's the Roaring `20s and Prohibition hasn't stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve, and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules, and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll.

Review:

On paper this should have been a slam dunk. Ben Affleck is a good director, it's based on a 2012 novel by Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River", "Shutter Island", "Gone Baby Gone") that won an Edgar Award for novel of the year, and it's got an incredible cast. But somehow, it all feels terribly underwhelming.

The story is interesting enough, although not necessarily original or unique. It's the usual rise to power crime saga with a bit of revenge, romance and redemption mixed in for good measure. However, Affleck's adaptation of Lehane's complex novel is bland and rushed. Supposedly, the original cut was around three hours, and I'm sure that would have been a much better film. Affleck also changes things from the book that don't make much sense for the movie, or perhaps they were sacrificed for a leaner pace. There are some interesting characters in here for sure, embodied by good actors, but they never amount to much in the grand scheme of this story, becoming nothing more than shallow plot devices.

The performances are generally good, apart from the over-the-top accents, with Chris Messina, Chris Cooper and Elle Fanning standing out. Ben Affleck on the other hand felt off at times. I can't say he's horrible, but his performance comes across as surprisingly lifeless. The film was originally developed as a starring vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio, who had to drop out but stayed on as a producer. Maybe DiCaprio would have been a better fit for this project.

Production values are appropriately high, immersing the audience in a rich and detailed 1920s atmosphere with excellent costumes and set design. Master cinematographer Robert Richardson ("Kill Bill", "Casino", "The Hateful Eight") crafts some beautiful eye candy, and the action scenes feature dynamic camerawork. I was somewhat disappointed by Harry Gregson-Williams's score, which is shockingly generic and sometimes used in scenes that worked better without music.

"Live By Night" is a mediocre period crime drama that could have been great with better writing and direction. It's still worth it if you enjoy prohibition-era gangster flicks, but go in with lowered expectations.

SCORE: 6.5/10