Review of Live by Night (2016) by Cistern — 27 Oct 2021

Gangsters and Gunshots in Prohibition America.

Being a Jazz Age aficionado and a Dennis Lehane fan I looked forward to reading the book and seeing the film. In this film adaptation Ben Affleck plays Joe Coughlin, an Irish-American who skirts the edges of crime only to find himself swallowed by it. Mafia boss Maso Pescatore sends him down to Florida to set up a profitable business only to find our hero botching up his job which leads to bloodshed and a swift turn of events. Supporting Affleck is the ever reliable Brendan Gleeson as his father, sour-faced Chris Cooper as the patriarch to the charming Elle Fanning who portrays a religious zealot who gets in the way. While no classic and a little slow-going and talky for a gangster flick, this is nonetheless a good, low-key film where Affleck shows his chops as one of Hollywood's multiple threat stars.