By George M. Thomas
 |
| Ben Affleck and Zoe Saldana in Live By Night. |
As his subject matter as a director started in his hometown
of Boston with THE TOWN and veered into history with ARGO, Affleck displayed natural skill as a
director. He continues that with LIVE BY NIGHT, a cinematic trip that combines both - his love for Boston with a loving
look back into history.
While Boston isn’t the complete focus, it plays a distinct
role in who Doug MacRay (Affleck), the film’s morally fluid center, is even as
he takes hold of a criminal enterprise in Prohibition-era Tampa, Fla.
LIVE BY NIGHT possesses a sense of style along with
memorable characters and a captivating story. It’s an old fashioned morality tale trussed up with some
modern trappings.
But at its heart is the story of MacRay, a young guy making
the mistakes young guys make. He’s
impetuous. He’s intelligent and he’s
ambitious.
