Written, produced, and directed by Ben Affleck, Live By Night is an obvious homage to the classic 1930's blockbuster gangster movies released by Warner Bros. Following Argo, Ben Affleck looked to keep his critics quiet in this new flick, but does it work?
Live By Night takes place in the Roaring 20's. A good man, Joe Coughlin, struggles to find himself after returning from the war. During the Prohibition Era, there is much opportunity in an underground work dealing with alcohol. However, in order to access the businesses of bootlegging, you must work under a mob boss. This was something that Coughlin refuses to do. He declares, "I stopped kissing rings a long time ago" signaling that he is done working for people and wants to work for himself. Every mob group / family has rules, but Coughlin breaks the biggest one in the book. He double crosses a powerful mob boss, Albert White, by stealing his money and sleeping with his girlfriend. A certain turn of events transpire and Coughlin changes his mind and decides to work for the most powerful and demanding mob boss during that period, Maso Pescatore.
Live By Night has been getting denounced for the past couple of weeks due to its over stuffing of characters and slow tempo. It is currently rotting at 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. The most mentioned flaw this movie is its slow pace. I have to disagree entirely with anyone who makes this argument. Live By Night is a typical gangster movie but revamped for the modern era. I am disappointed with critics complaining about the lack of action in this movie when it clearly is listed as a drama first, action second.
Next, I have to mention the cinematography. The cinematography was second to none. Live By Night has to be the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. It was like watching art come to life at times during this movie
Unlike many others, I appreciate character dialogue, and this movie had lots of it. Some scenes would drag on for about five to ten minutes of just pure dialogue. That was one of my favorite aspects of this revamped gangster movie. The dialogue was so well written that I was invested in everything that transpired during this very fleshed out movie.
The pacing of this movie was not an issue for me. Although the run time felt more than two hours long, it was not bad feeling. I kept wanting more from the movie and I got exactly that. Very rarely do I feel a brush of sadness after a movie ends, but I did for Live By Night. It was one of the best gangster movies I have ever seen, and I've seen many... too many. 
Ben Affleck had tremendous chemistry with everyone in this movie, but the person he connected with most was Chris Messina, who portrayed Joe Coughlin's best friend/partner in crime, Dion Bartolo. The chemistry between the two tremendous actors was off the charts and was a treat to watch on the big screen. Messina's character was very well written. Other than Affleck, he had to be my favorite actor on screen. He was super funny and added so much comedy to this very dark movie, but was also a bad ass that I would never want to mess with.
Every actor stood out during their scenes but I have to point out Chris Cooper. This man can do no wrong. By far the most powerful and saddening performance in this movie, Cooper shines when he is on screen. The man he portrays, Chief Figgs, starts off as a very religious and powerful person, but his character arc is very shocking and saddening. Again, the writing is amazing and well thought out. Every character had a certain arc and it was a pleasure to watch it all play out.
Finally, the last portrayal I have to talk about is Ben Affleck's perfect performance as Joe Coughlin. Not only has Affleck been rapidly improving as one of the top directors in Hollywood, but as one of the top actors as well. His performance demanded attention from the viewers and got what it sought after. Affleck's intimidating body structure speaks for itself, but the real intimidation that comes from his character is his deep and powerful voice delivering some of the best quotes I've ever heard in a movie. Whenever Coughlin would threaten someone, all I could see was Batman. Ben Affleck is truly, The Batman.
Speaking of Batman, Affleck's next directing, acting, and writing gig is The Batman (2018). After watching this flick, it is safe to say that the caped crusader is in good hands. 
Live By Night pays tribute to the classic Hollywood blockbuster gangster movies and excels in doing so. Although we are still in January, it is safe for me to say that Live By Night will surely be on my top ten list by the end of 2017. It is a true shame that this movie is not getting the praise it deserves, but Affleck knows what he's doing and I can't wait to see more out of him. In my opinion, Live By Night will be considered a classic in ten years or so, but as of right now, many people don't have the brain capacity to enjoy and appreciate this movie. Good on you, Ben Affleck. You deliver once again.
Verdict: 4.5/5 (92%)
