Ben Affleck has had an interesting 2016 between the mixed reactions to both The Accountant and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But Affleck as an actor is different than Affleck the director, and today brings the trailer for his latest directorial effort, the prohibition drama Live by Night. Based on the novel by Shutter Island scribe Denis Lehane, Live by Night will surely feature plenty of Tommy Guns and bootlegging betrayal.
Affleck has assembled a strong supporting cast, including Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, and Chris Cooper. But for me, the biggest star of the movie is behind the camera with cinematographer Robert Richardson lending his immense talents to Affleck’s film and his stellar work is front and center in this trailer.
Live by Night will open in select theaters on December 25th, 2016 in the hopes of getting some awards consideration before opening nationwide on January 13th, 20167.
The official synopsis for Live by Night:
“Live by Night” is set in the roaring `20s when Prohibition hasn’t stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police Superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll. The fiery affair ends in tragedy, setting Joe on a path of revenge, ambition, romance and betrayal that propels him out of Boston and up the ladder of Tampa’s steamy rum-running underworld.