Live by Night
Prohibition Era, the time of mobsters and speakeasys, a small time criminal, Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck), is left with an axe to grind against Irish mob boss Albert White (Robert Glenister); but, exacting his revenge will take time, patience, his criminal mind, and support from the Italian mafia in Florida. Almost too successful for his own good, Joe is challenged with love interest Graciela (Zoe Saldana) and yearns to make a better life, but not before straightening out the competition, the KKK, and the local police; even then, will Joe ever be free?
Made with the best intentions Writer/Director/Star Ben Affleck bites off a lot to chew in this regurgitation of Dennis Lehane’s novel. Sadly, a little too much gets lost along the way despite a great cast, fantastic art direction and costuming, solid score, and sharp cinematography– then end story just isn’t that interesting, the characters aren’t that relatable, and the whole exercise feels derivative of countless more compelling mob films. Perhaps Affleck’s superhero efforts in the writing department should have been outsourced to bring more heart to the overall project, refining subplots, and sharpening dialogue? Alas, what we’ve got here is a film that’s about to be washed away with the Oscar riptide. Maybe a rental later when you’ve got more spare time, Live by Night is rated R.