Affleck, fresh off the failure of Superman Vs Batman and his marital woes, is back on the big screen. He’s directed, produced and written the screenplay Live By Night , a film based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane.
But the crime drama film is more like an incredibly, unending, unwieldy epic saga. It chronicles the life of Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck), a World War I veteran who returns from the war to pursue a life of petty crime during the prohibition in 1920s America. The sprawling film covers everything from Joe’s first love (a mobster’s girlfriend played by Sienna Miller), being imprisoned, working for a gangster, an interracial marriage, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), several bloody shoot-outs and so much more. Don’t try reading all that in one breath.
Affleck is known for successfully adapting books into feature films. Take his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone (2007). Even The Town (2010) was a critical darling. Of course, then there was Argo (2012), a stark shift from his penchant for crime. The move paid off well in terms of awards dividends: it won accolades all around: the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Picture.
But with Live By Night , Affleck makes the common mistake of trying to fit in everything within a short span of time. There’s barely any screen space for nuance, character growth or attention to detail. For instance, Tampa Florida’s immigrant population should have ideally been more afflicted by the hold of the KKK. But a fleeting moment of violence is expected to fully explain the racial conflict in the town. Then there’s Loretta Figgis’ (Elle Fanning), a reformed evangelist, whose story could have been etched out by being economical in other areas. Another aspect is Coughlin’s tepid run-ins with the mob (in this film, both the Irish and Italian). After having seen all The Godfather films recently, I do have to say the portrayal of the mafia is not half as menacing as Fancis Ford Coppola managed to depict. Other than the incorporation of the word ‘consigliere’, there’s hardly an emphasis on Italian pride or the criminal dealings of the mobsters.
Despite us zip, zap and zooming with Coughlin from Boston to Tampa and Miami, and everywhere else he flits, the pace of the film is ironically laborious. I just sat watching emotionless, barely curious about what Coughlin’s outcome would be. There’s so much that could have been done without. After the main fight sequence (the only exciting point of the feature) in the film, Affleck is so bent on wrapping up loose ends and being true to the book, that Live By Night stretches on unnecessarily.
We do have to hand it over to Affleck for his direction, especially the sprawling panoramic shots of 1920s Tampa and his ability to translate Florida’s balmy weather onto the screen. Plus, those costumes: the three-breasted suits, two-toned shoes and flapper dresses are a sight to behold. But the highlight of the film has to be Coughlin’s sidekick Dion Bartolo played by a dedicated Chris Messina. The Mindy Project actor is always in the shadow with his supporting roles, but he shines in Live By Night . Right from the change in his physical appearance to his increasing criminal demeanour, Messina is believable in his portrayal as a rising criminal warlord.
Affleck is one of the best directors in Hollywood and his past films are testimony to his talent and skill. Live By Night , though isn’t up there with his best work. It could have been great, but just falls short. It’s only suitable for a one-time watch to stay updated with Affleck’s oeuvre.
