I am anxiously awaiting my press invite to catch Ben Affleck's gangster epic "Live By Night." We are in need of a good 'Gangster' picture these days. I was not impressed by his Best Picture winner "Argo," but I know Affleck has a great flair for shooting action scenes and is highly influenced by Michael Mann, more specifically "Heat." Earlier in the year I mentioned that I knew "someone that went to a test screening and came out underwhelmed by the film." Then the trailer came out late summer and I wasn't impressed, but, I have to say, this is a vast improvement and antes up my expectations. I'm not entirely convinced by Ben Affleck "the actor," but maybe this'll change my mind.
While were at it, best gangster films of the last decade? Were there any? The 2000's had "City of God," "The Departed," "Road to Perdition," "American Gangster," "A Prophet," "Gangs of New York," "Eastern Promises," "A History of Violence," "Public Enemies." But the 2010s? Nada. Can't find a single worthy addition. I can deal with "Lawless" an ultra-violent Prohibition era Gangster flick or, if it counts, last year's superb "Straight Outta Compton" although I'm stretching the genre a bit there.
"Live By Night" comes out in limited release on December 25, 2016, before opening wide on January 13.