Live by Night Review

Certificate: 15

Running time: 129 minutes

Directed by: Ben Affleck.

What's it about: Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, and set in the Prohibition era. Live by Night follows the story Joe Coughlin, a criminal turned notorious gangster. 

The verdict: Ben Affleck has proved himself to be both a proficient actor and director. Unfortunately Live by Night hasn't generated the same buzz as his previous endeavours into directing. Whether this is because of the subject matter of the film or the release date, it's hard to tell. 

Live by Night is certainly ambitious, you can tell this in the attention to detail - the costumes, the locations, the cars etc. There are moments that stood out, mostly in the action sequences. Whether it be a car chase or a shootout, Ben Affleck is definitely able to deliver thrilling and tense scenes. 

There are slight changes in the tone and pace of the film, as the film follows Joe Coughlin over many years in his life. I felt this helped move the film along, when the pace threatened to become too laborious and so I was engaged throughout.

The problems come largely from the characters and character development. The performances are all solid and certainly can not be criticised. But none of the characters are particularly likeable, there is no one to care about, no one to root for. Interesting characters are dispatched too quickly, and so when you stop caring about the characters - you often stop caring about the film. The one thing that the audience may be hoping for and perhaps what the whole film is leading up to, is over way too quickly and so feels anticlimactic. 

The other problem is the ending, it didn't feel quite right to me. It seemed out of place in terms of its tone and also a bit disappointing. 

Although Live by Night has its flaws, and unfortunately has underperformed at the box office. I did enjoy watching it, and I will look forward to seeing what Ben Affleck comes up with next. 

Should you watch this film? Yes. Live by Night is worth a watch on the big screen, and particularly if you're a fan of Affleck.