Live by Night movie review & film summary (2017)

“Live by Night” is the story of the rise of a relatively low-level mobster named Joe Coughlin (Affleck) during Prohibition. Sorta. Kinda. We’ll get to how this epic story on the page lacked an interesting enough protagonist for the screen later. For now, know that Coughlin is on the rise in Boston, aided a bit by his cop father (Brendan Gleeson, great even in what amounts to basically a one-scene role) and in love with local mob boss Albert White’s (Robert Glenister) daughter Emma (Sienna Miller). After ripping off a few poker games, Joe decides he’s going to rob a bank and run away with Emma, but Albert gets wind of it and double crosses poor Joe, nearly killing him.

Coughlin runs to Florida, but he’s not done with the criminal underworld. In fact, he’s reporting back to White’s Italian nemesis, Maso Pescatore (Remo Girone), and essentially building an empire in Ybor, where he’s taken over the rum trade. In doing so, he meets a girl named Graciela (Zoe Saldana, who does a lot with a little) and comes to a gentleman’s agreement with local lawman Chief Figgis (Chris Cooper), who lets him do what he needs to as long as he stays in the right geographical boundaries. While in Florida, Coughlin runs afoul of the Ku Klux Klan, and meets Figgis’ daughter Loretta (Elle Fanning), who will play a major role in whether or not this Northerner builds a casino set to open just as Prohibition ends.

Crime epics—such as Lehane’s book—that cross state lines and years of plot require a confident hand with an artistic vision to guide them to the big screen. Affleck simply doesn’t seem to have much passion for the material. His previous directorial efforts displayed a sense of urgency that’s lacking here. Whatever faults you may find in his other three films, they had momentum, especially nail-biting works like “The Town” and “Argo.” “Live by Night” is almost stunningly momentum-less. It often plods from plot point to plot point. Some scenes go on far too long, especially in the final act when Affleck is trying to wring emotion from a script that doesn't have it, while others feel truncated in the editing room. The pacing is just off here, which keeps us from being engaged or immersed in the world.

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