Live by Night (2017)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck, who also wrote and directed) is Tom the police chief's son (Brendan Gleeson) in 20's Beantown. Nevertheless, he prefers the life of crime himself. He and his co-horts rob banks and poker games, upsetting his papa greatly. Love, however, remains strong between the two. Moreover, Joe is small peanuts in a town run by two mob leaders, one an Irishman and the other Italian. As fate would have it, Joe falls for the Irish mobster's "moll", Emma (Sienna Miller) and begins a clandestine affair, knowing the consequences if Boss Albert finds out. Joe daydreams so much about Emma that on a routine bank heist, his foggy mind upsets the apple cart. This leads to a police chase and fiery crash; Joe escapes, the cops do not. Albert IS looking for Joe, for he knows the score now, but doesn't get there before Tom arrives. Pulling strings, Tom gets Joe a very light sentence of three years. Wow. When he gets out, Joe doesn't know where Emma is, believing her to be dead, and decides to "relocate" to Tampa Florida, working for the Italian Boston Boss. He does this because the Irishman is worming his way into bootlegging and gambling down south, too, in Miami. Once there, Joe does a fabulous job, working with Cubans including lovely Graciela (Zoe Saldana). The straight-laced police chief, Figgis looks the other way and has a beautiful daughter, Loretta (Elle Fanning) who is off the star in Hollywood. But, what happens when the Italian mobster begins to believe Joe is weak and not into "killing" anymore? What about Albert, is he still looking for Joe? This very fine movie has great performances, many twists and turns, gorgeous sets, fabulous costumes, and a style that dazzles. Who can we thank? Why, first, Affleck who stars, writes, and directs and Dennis Lehane, whose novel came first. Purists may want to know that the ending of the film is different from the book while those who detest violence won't want to watch it. Even so, the violence is not pervasive and the story too good too miss. So, movie fan, don't skip it.

Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck) returns from the Great War and leads a robbery crew in Boston. His girlfriend Emma Gould is the inside man who is also the mistress to Irish gangster Albert White. A gang war between White and Italian mob boss Maso Pescatore blows up. He gets set up by White, beaten, and imprisoned. After his release, Pescatore recruits him to chase after White who has escaped to set up an operation in Tampa, Florida. With his best friend Dion Bartolo by his side, he builds a rum operation in Tampa. He befriends Sheriff Irving Figgis (Chris Cooper) and his daughter Loretta (Elle Fanning) who is heading to Hollywood. He marries local Graciela Corrales (Zoe Saldana). He battles the KKK and then tries to build a casino.This story seems to be too big for Affleck's writing skills. He's proved his directing skills but this is a long meandering criminal life. He's trying to make Godfather but he doesn't have the vision. It also doesn't help that he plays Joe in a cold and distant manner. He is so cold that none of his relationships are appealing. I don't care about Emma and only slightly more about Graciela. The saving grace is that he doesn't get romantic with Loretta as I feared. That may be why her character is more compelling than almost everybody else. This movie pushes Affleck to his limits and he shows his limitations.

Live by Night - Ben Affleck's 'sorry my Great Grandpa kept slaves' film. So this petty Chicago (I'm not a..)gangster guy gets set up and a very cuddly Don Italiano uses him to get at some Irish gangster guy in Florida. Ben goes uber PC as an Irish guy working for an Italian banging a Cuban/black chick while taking the fight to the KKK - we turned it off. 1/10 - dunno how it ended.

Ben Affleck proves once again that he cannot write, direct, produce and star in a movie. He has failed to create an interesting picture despite the fascinating material he has at hand. First, the novel by Dennis Lehane; second, the territory of gangland Boston and Florida during Prohibition; third and finally, a cast of great actors in the supporting roles from Brendan Gleeson to Elle Fanning, Chris Messina and Chris Cooper. Why isn't this a good movie? It should be, but Affleck once again does not seem to be able to take the helm wearing all those hats and produce a great movie. The stereotypes abound, the women are cardboard cutouts and the Godfather it ain't. I read this movie was originally going to run to three hours, before Warner Bros forced Affleck to cut it. As it is, at a few minutes over 2 hours, I can't imagine sitting through more of this boring, snail-paced and dull gangster film. Don't waste your time on Live By Night: watch the Untouchables, rent the Godfather trilogy or, better yet, go outside and take a long walk instead.