In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Friday 12 May 2017

LIVE BY NIGHT [2016]

After three wonderful directorial efforts, Ben Affleck hits a bit of a misfire with his adaptation of Dennis Lehane's organized crime novel Live by Night.
Set in the roarin' 20's Prohibition era, a Boston-bred gangster is relocated to Tampa, Florida, where he sets up violent rivals with the local mob, law enforcement and Ku Klax Klan.
The studio had nearly an hour cut to make it seem more action-packed than it needed to be resulting in the film lacking an emotional core.  With so many thematic directions thrown on the table it's almost impossible to thoroughly explore in what seems to be a rushed shortcut to the finish line.  In the end this well-acted, beautifully shot period drama feels like the studio abandoned what Affleck set out to do and hurried it's way to awards season only to find it put on the wrong undies for such an occasion.

2½ track marks out of 5

No comments: