Live by Night – Film Review - Less would have been More (may contain spoilers)
I love a good gangster film, especially when Scorsese is directing (this one isn't).
Set in the prohibition era of Boston, stars and is directed by Ben Afflek. His character is a small time bank robber who has a secret affair with one of the Irish mafia boss's girlfriend played by Sienna Miller. The girlfriend dies in a staged car accident, Afflek is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of a police officer – he vows to seek revenge and forms an allegiance with the Italian mafia.
He rises the ranks and is transferred to Florida to run a bootlegging syndicate. While there he starts an interracial romance with Zoe Saldana's character. This is where the main plot and sub-plots become a little confused. Afflek finds himself in the middle of several simultaneous hostile situations, between The KKK, a religious movement and his growing empire.
The film isn't all bad, the main plot is interesting, although jumps around the sub plots too much. The film would have been better if it had concentrated on one main plot. I'm sure that Scorsese would have focused on one particular theme and really wound up the level of grit. There are some good action sequences, especially the final shootout which is very 'Tarantino'.
But the problem is that it just comes across rather confused.
5/10.
Set in the prohibition era of Boston, stars and is directed by Ben Afflek. His character is a small time bank robber who has a secret affair with one of the Irish mafia boss's girlfriend played by Sienna Miller. The girlfriend dies in a staged car accident, Afflek is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of a police officer – he vows to seek revenge and forms an allegiance with the Italian mafia.
He rises the ranks and is transferred to Florida to run a bootlegging syndicate. While there he starts an interracial romance with Zoe Saldana's character. This is where the main plot and sub-plots become a little confused. Afflek finds himself in the middle of several simultaneous hostile situations, between The KKK, a religious movement and his growing empire.
The film isn't all bad, the main plot is interesting, although jumps around the sub plots too much. The film would have been better if it had concentrated on one main plot. I'm sure that Scorsese would have focused on one particular theme and really wound up the level of grit. There are some good action sequences, especially the final shootout which is very 'Tarantino'.
But the problem is that it just comes across rather confused.
5/10.
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