Live by Night (2016)
2016
R
129 Minutes
A story set in the Prohibition Era and centered around a group of individuals and their dealings in the world of organized crime.
User Review
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Live By Night nearly made me sleep by night...and day. The first massive misfire from Affleck, all this talk of Oscar buzz hindered its chances of being anything other than an incoherent mess. It wasn't even a narrow misfire, he strayed so far away from the target that he obliterated Prohibition gangster films along the way. The son of a superintendent decides to walk the life of a mobster when he is unable to resist the uncontrollable urge to steal money from a powerful outlaw. His lover is presumed dead, he moves away, some other characters are introduced, Christianity and repenting sins is forced in...oh, and there's the KKK...wait, he wants to build a giant casino? Why is Brendan Gleeson not in this more? Why are all the characters sidelined? Where is the excitement!? Aside from the gripping introductory car chase and final shootout, this is nothing more than pretentious melodrama which should've been titled 'The Ben Affleck Show: Prohibit Prohibition'. I'm fine with Affleck garnering all of the screen time, especially given his previous directing efforts 'The Town' and 'Argo'. But not when he is this boring! He looks like he couldn't even be bothered as he awkwardly smiles all the way through hunched over like a human wall. When you have rising talents like Miller, Fanning and Saldana, don't waste them. They all gave captivating performances yet each had five minutes to showcase their acting range. None of the supporting characters were developed and were there as a means to accompany Affleck on his quest for money and redemption. I felt no emotional attachment towards any of them. The story was utterly tedious as it's paced slower than a 1920's automobile. For an overstuffed plot, I'm surprised that nothing really happens. I will say that the Prohibition-era production design was authentic and the accompanying visual style was glamorously glossy. Just unfortunate that every other element was glossed over. Long, dull and boring. I've nearly forgotten about this already. I can only hope Affleck comes back from this, which I'm sure has hit him hard...0 member like this review.
