Ben Affleck’s monstrous 2016 and 2017 resumes continue to look better and better. As if being Batman three times in two years and associating with known criminals in The Accountant wasn’t enough, Affleck is set to write, direct, produce, and star in Live By Night.
Adapted from a novel by Dennis Lehane, the film sees Affleck as Joe Coughlin, the son of a police captain who climbs the ladder of organized crime during the Prohibition era. Immediately, you can see similarities with past crime masterpieces like Goodfellas, Scarface, and The Godfather. Obviously, similar in content and not time period. Live By Night is also reminiscent of Boardwalk Empire, which was produced by the legendary Martin Scorsese. This can only be seen as a positive as those are some extremely great titles to hold company with.
This isn’t the first time that one of Lehane’s works has been adapted onto the big screen. Previously, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, and The Drop have all been feature film releases, most of which have had big name directors attached to them. Affleck, himself, even made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone.
Everything seems to be pointing in the right direction for Live By Night. Affleck has proved himself as a more-than-capable director with films like The Town and Argo and it continues to show in this trailer. The cinematography is simply beautiful and there are some amazing shots in the 2:32 runtime. On top of that, the supporting cast is great as well. It includes Elle Fanning, the always underrated Brendan Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Cooper all have roles alongside Affleck.
Live By Night is set for a wide theater release on January 13, 2017. Check out the trailer and comment below.
