Ben Affleck’s Live By Night was actually his directorial follow-up to the Oscar-winning Argo. Live By Night isn’t going to get any Oscars though. Not only was the critical response muted or downright unpleasant, but no one went to see it. I thought this was “just another bomb” for Ben Affleck, but apparently not – Batman v. Superman made a ton of money, and The Accountant performed well at the box office for a moderately-budgeted action-drama. Perhaps that’s why Warner Bros gave Affleck $65 million to make Live By Night, plus an almost unlimited budget to promote the thing. And what’s the result? Warner Bros is taking a huge loss. This might not be so funny except… I think this was supposed to be an Oscar contender? So it’s a little bit funny, a little bit sad.
“Live By Night” mostly fired blanks when it debuted in theaters last December, and its failure has resulted in a lot of financial carnage. The expensive gangster picture was a passion project for Ben Affleck, who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the story of a Florida rum runner. But critics ripped the picture, calling it dramatically inert and a muddle. That’s left Warner Bros., the studio behind the film flop, looking at a $75 million loss, according to insiders with knowledge of its financing and rival studio executives.
“Live By Night” has made $16.5 million globally, and is not expected to have international appeal despite Affleck’s star power. Talky period pictures don’t tend to play well overseas, particularly when they don’t come loaded with Oscars (“Live By Night” was shut out). The film cost $65 million to produce and tens of millions more to distribute and market. Warner Bros. only gets a percentage of ticket sales. It will try to cushion its losses with home entertainment sales and rentals, as well as television licensing deals. The studio did have a significant financial partner on the film in RatPac-Dune Entertainment, though it’s not clear how much the slate financing partner invested in “Live By Night.”
Warner Bros. has a long relationship with Affleck, having backed and made money on his previous directorial efforts such as “Argo” and “The Town.” He also played the Dark Knight in the studio’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Suicide Squad,” and the upcoming “Justice League.” Affleck plans to direct a standalone Batman film. A spokesman for Warner Bros. declined to comment.
Many people defend Ben Affleck saying, “well, he’s not the best actor but he’s a great director!” He’s not though. He’s a decent, mid-range director. The Town had some good stuff, and I would argue it’s his best film as a director, but he has big casting issues. Whether it’s hiring Blake Lively (a decision I still side-eye) for The Town, or whether it’s hiring himself to play the lead in all of his films, he needs to stop and rethink this directing thing. At this point, he’s just doing it to give himself the beauty shots he thinks he deserves (Affleck is never more beautifully lit than when he’s directing himself in lingering He-Man shots). I would suspect that’s the same problem with Live By Night. That, and no one really cared about a gangster movie right at this moment.
Stills from ‘Live By Night’, additional photos by WENN.
What star power? I don’t think anyone is going to the movies specifically because Ben is starring in one. The only time people care about his movies is if it’s a plot they already know like Argo or if it’s a big cast. Him and Sierra Miller were not going to bring in anybody. Hollywood execs honestly need a reality check.
Star power in general is almost gone. People don’t go to see speciffic actors (directors, writers, other talent) anymore. Sure there are fans of stars, but not in a make-a-difference amounts. Right now franchises, not people, sell mediocre films, that’s why every studio wants to do them.
I wonder if paychecks of ex huge stars have dropped too now, when they can’t fill cinemas anymore?
ETA: Flap those bat wings, Ben, you’ll need them more and more!
Why does he always look angry and bloated?
The Accountant did very well and doesn’t fit your criteria. But, yes, star power doesn’t guarantee or even indicate success of a movie anymore.
Im more likely to see a Tarantino movie, because I tend to like his style i.e Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill
He needs to maybe keep directing and producing and stay out from in front of the camera because he does not have the stat power they (and he) thinks he does. If this film was starring another actor I think it would have done better.
Agree. He looked downright comical in the stills. Who approved white suits for that barrel chest? Oh, I guess he did. Big mistake.
“At this point, he’s just doing it to give himself the beauty shots he thinks he deserves (Affleck is never more beautifully lit than when he’s directing himself in lingering He-Man shots).”
This is such an on bit piece of critical writing, Kaiser, bless you!
him and his bro need to just go.
And take their besties Matt “Whitesplainer” Damon and Tom “Trump Lover” Brady with them.
My favorite movie from him was The Town. It was very well directed imo and he was good in it as an actor too. But I didn’t watch it because of him lol I watched it because folks said it was good and it ended being really good.
However he and his brother need to go.
Argo was very good, also. No so much for his performance, per se, but the rest of the cast was really stellar.
I loved The Town but @Kaiser is right, Blake Lively was a sour note in an otherwise very enjoyable movie. Especially since the character is supposed to be, and only makes sense, as older than she was.
He is not as talented as he’s billed, but there are so few comparable male Hollywood stars in his age bracket that he stands out.
it’s a shame this douche butchered such a great, great book.
I really liked Live by Night, and couldn’t see why it got such negative reviews. But I’m obviously in quite a small minority. I have read the book btw.
Haven’t seen the movie, but I enjoyed the book. Didn’t realize it was #2 in a trilogy when I read it. I’m going to read the last one now.
And Affleck certainly isn’t who I’d pick for Joe Coughlin. I see Coughlin as blonder, wirier and tougher looking.
Didn’t realize there was a third! I really like Dennis LeHane. I went and read mystic river (already read shutter island) after the given day and live by night.
Bluhare–agreed. This was a job for someone like Michael Pitt from BOARDWALK EMPIRE.
I haven’t seen the movie but I loved the book. I think he was perfectly cast– maybe a little too old and heavy. But I actually loved the book before this one – The Given Day better. It’s one of my favorite books ever. I wish they would make a move out of that one!
I watched it yesterday and I have to say that I found it a lot more entertaining that his brother’s film Manchester By The Sea. There were some really good performances by Elle Fanning, Chris Cooper and Brendan Gleeson. Even Ben Affleck and Sienna Miller were pretty good. Pity that Zoe Saldana didn’t have that much to do in this film.
I loved Manchester BTS but glad someone else enjoyed Ben’s film! I thought Cooper and Gleeson were outstanding, but aren’t they always…
It seems like gangster movies, like boxing movies, are served up continuously. I watched the Graham Norton episode with him and Sienna Miller. The film clip showed was just a dud. Anyway, he’ll make the $$ back with Batman.
Warner Brothers is so bizarre (and such a boys club). They’ll throw away any amount of money to keep their “boys” happy. 🙄 Still, everyone has a self-indulgent bomb at some point. He can bounce back…but the pressure is on his next directing job…The Batman. Yikes.
Batman v Superman made some money, sure….but not what they wanted, not even close. The three biggest superheroes together for the first time? They wanted a billion. The shareholders expected a billion. They spent to get to a billion. That should have been an easy billion. Nope.
Now the only question is does Affleck shake it off, or do his self-destructive impulses come back into play?
This is the question. From what I have seen the comic world is really keen to see his Batman especially because they detest what Snyder has done with the DC movies. If he delivers a critically beloved movie, he’ll be bigger than he has ever been much less dreamed. That one film could propel him to the biggest star in the world. So this is not the time for the coke poker stripper parties but i wonder if he knows that.
I wonder how tied his hands will be? His Batman will still have to be in the same tone as the rest of DCEU. Although doom & gloom does suit Batman more than Superman, so perhaps it will be OK. He just needs a good script, and this is where this franchise in general really blows.
“Why did you say that name?!?”
Ramona, Your comment is great! “Now is not the time for coke poker stripper parties,” ….bahaha. And you are right, he is NOT aware of that!
Crox: there is no reason for his version of the comic to look like the others. The only reason they are that dark in production design and a tad gloomy is because Tim Burton re-imagined his version that way. The next version was handed to a director, Chris Nolan, who has a rather gloomy tone to all his films. Chris Nolan went on to produce the Snyder versions hence the continuation.
If the script holds up, no reason for Ben’s version to be gloomy and dark.
Likewise Superman can be imagined dark and gloomy, but the previous versions were successful as sunny, bright films in terms of tone. Superman’s story is actually pretty depressing despite the tone. As dark as Batman’s story.
LAK: But do you think they will not continue the DCEU tone?
Thank you! He is not a great director. There is absolutely nothing remotely impressive about the directing of his first 3 films. The only mildly interesting choice he made was using some shots of real people in Gone Baby Gone, other than that it’s just direct by numbers stuff. Which is fine, and good for many stories, but there’s a vast difference between being an adequate director and being a great one. His talent was in choosing good, simple material and mostly excellent casts. Gone Baby Gone remains his best film by a mile, because it’s the simplest, most self-contained story with the best cast.
It’s really telling that the first time he’s taken on a more stylised film it’s a total dud. And yeah, he needs to stop casting himself. At absolute best he’s a good-ish actor. Put a great actor in his roles and his films would get a big boost in quality.
I actually think his best directorial decision was standing firm against the studio when they wanted to give Gone Baby Gone a more audience friendly ending. He even fought for the ambiguity over whether or not Caseys character felt regret. Atmospheric films often incoroprate real footage, that isnt new and studios love it because there are fewer transport, costuming and wage costs as a result.
He isn’t the same level as Scorsese, Cuaron, Spielberg but certainly several notches above, uhh, Ryan Gosling?😉 Casting seems to be his weakness.
you have no idea how much I love the fact that Cuarón is named among the directing greats you listed.
I think Gone Baby Gone is his best film, as well. I thought The Town was ok (mostly because of Jeremy Renner and the lead actress whose name escapes me), and that Argo was a very standard, paint by numbers film.
Ben just seems like such a mess to me, these days. Maybe because I had such a huge crush on him and Matt back in the late 90s early 2000s. Chasing Amy and Dogma did it for me!
I think Gone Baby Gone is his best film, but, man, that opening to The Town, the bank robbery, was amazing.
Agreed that Gone Baby Gone was Affleck’s best film and imo his only really good film. The Town had an outstanding performance by Renner but the rest of the cast was a disappointment (that said, it was competently directed — but part of a director’s job is casting and Affleck made some huge errors with that). I found Argo boring as sh*t. I don’t think I’ll ever see Live by Night unless I’m in a hotel in a snowstorm and it’s the only on-demand film available.
Is it me or does he look constipated most of the time?
I don’t really see anything in his face anymore because it looks to me like it doesn’t move naturally. Too many fillers. Take it down & deflate your face Ben!! 🙂
“No one really cared about a gangster movie . . . .”
Of course not! Why care about a movie when you have the real thing
unravelling in your face. . . . .
I’ve enjoyed a couple of the films he’s directed, but I agree he would be better served to not star in them as well. He’s definitely not someone who brings me to a movie just by being in it.
What’s sad is Warner Bros. probably made so much off of that awful Batman Superman movie, they don’t even care about this. But you know if a female actor/director lost $65 million, they would never let her direct another film.
They didn’t make as much of a profit on BvS as you’d think. Their advertising costs were through the roof. For context, WB spent $40 mil on advertising for Live By Night. I don’t know about you but I barely saw anything for this movie, maybe a commercial here and there. But you’re ultimately right — they won’t care about this massive flop. Oh to be a white man with a pity Oscar. You’ll get chance after chance after chance in Hollywood.
I didn’t think (on second watching) that Batman vs Superman was such a bad movie. I hated it the first time I watched it, because I thought Ben unbelieveable. My son pointed out a few things that helped me understand … I’m REALLY hoping Wonder Woman is great. What I really wanted to comment on though was Lucy2’s comment she’s right. A woman would never, ever get the number of chances the Affleck boys have had. That’s the imbalance that hurts the most.
That is what makes me so mad about Casey and Mel. Women are black listed for being difficult, but a man gets a million chances. I know there are women who are exceptions to that rule, but let’s not pretend that’s the norm.
I don’t have a problem with an actor, male or female, being shut out if they are difficult. I’ve heard many directors, producer, and showrunners say that they have a no a-holes policy, and it’s just not worth dealing with someone difficult.
I suspect people like Mel and Casey are professional on set to the extent that they don’t cause delays for the production, so a lot of people turn a blind eye to their off camera problems as long as they don’t cost them $$. I doubt they’d do the same for women though.
I saw it and thought it was OK there were too many shots of him looking glum tho
I’d be interested to hear how this was supposed to play. Gangster movies don’t seem to be getting the same reception anymore – it feels played out. The only recent exception I can think of is The Departed, and that was Scorsese. No wonder Affleck had to do Batman vs Superman to get this made, did someone at WB actually know?
True, Bridget. Also, the Departed was modern day…I think the 1920s are a little played out right now. It’s how I felt about the 1970s in the 1990s. Lol.
Did no one tell him there was recently an entire HBO series about Prohibition gangsters? What’s he bringing to the table that no one else has? It feels played out.
It helps that THE DEPARTED was adapted from a fantastic Asian trilogy that had alreafy worked out the kinks. Not much work required to adapt it. It’s hard to see how anyone could mess that up. Even a hack like Snyder.
That was the entire reason why I wanted to see The Departed, personally. I loved Infernal Affairs.
People are sick of him. This was his third movie this year.
that’s true, I am tired of him.
I don”t like his acting. I read a review saying the lead was not complex and interesting enough. I think he should pick better projects and maybe he doesn’t need to be the lead always.
I think he has become a bit like Clooney in that you are always very aware it’s him acting. I don’t think Live By NIght was as bad as some say (there were some good performances in it) but it wasn’t good. I enjoyed the Town and although I can’t stand Lively and think she is a very overrated actress, this is the best performance I have seen her give.
From the header pic it looks like most of that $75 mil went to the CGI needed to smooth out Affleck’s face.
*DEAD*
Thank you. If he were an actress, he would be getting destroyed for the amount of work he’s had done. He looks ridiculous.
I read the book, and absolutely love Dennis Lehane’s novels. This one was just okay in comparison to the first of the series. I loved the first one, which I think flirted with a big screen debut for a long time…so I was pretty pissed when I saw that this one (the 2nd book) got the green light. First off, Ben Affleck is ALL SORTS OF NO for this role…just no. Joe is 19 when the book starts out and the story runs through the next few years of his life. So Ben playing a fresh gangster in his 20s pissed me off even more. I haven’t seen the movie yet, and I don’t know if I will….because I feel like there was an opportunity to make REALLY great movies from this Coughlin book series and the Batfleck is all we got…
He looks so much like Blake Lively in that top photo
I thought The Town was OK not great. I still haven’t seen Argo (tried once but I couldn’t get into it )so yeah I agree he’s totally overrated as a director but he’s a much worse actor.
Argo made him into a big deal. He is a fine director. My feeling here is that his personal life was just too distracting during the period he was writing and then filming the movie. He also has been under great media scrutiny. Some people need to have a stable life to produce great work. He obviously does not have anyone who was able to say to him – bro this does not work, or don’t star in the movie just direct it. (Or anyone he listens to).
Sure Ben is pretty devastated by this. Eventually he will pick himself up and find his groove.
By his own admission he worked on this movie for 36 months. The screenplay is the major source of failure here and that would have been at the beginning of the process. Plus, as we are all aware at this point, there was no messy personal life — the separation-that-never-was was all for show. He’s fine, has always been fine. Can’t use that as an excuse.
He was working on the script while the split was happening and then began filming in the fall. Yes, they were split. Jen has said this was the first movie she had no involvement in, meaning Ben sharing with her during the process of writing, directing. I think she missed being part of his life in that aspect. They were definitely estranged. And I think his messy life did play into it a bit.
What his biggest problem was this was a multi-part story that he tried to cram into a two-hour movie. Most have said he should have made it a mini series on HBO, or cut out parts of the story and focused in on a smaller portion of the book.
@Jayna They were never split up in the first place, that much is obvious now regardless of what they said to the press. Jen did a few things like the Vanity Fair article to try to save some face and act like it was all over but he was never even made to move out. LOL. Their continued charade without their wedding rings makes it all even more pathetic. Like, we know you’re not getting divorced, what is the point?
LMAO it was the tabloid coverage of Nannygate that screwed him up. If you believe Jen, they had been separated for ages prior to that (and filming of LBN). He was fine then. When the press got wind of the nanny, that’s when and why he started circling the drain. He cares way too much about what people think of him, hence Sadfleck during the BvS promo tour, etc. Let’s not forget, that’s also around the time that the Sony hack happened and he was exposed for having muscled his slave-owning ancestors out of his Finding Your Roots ep. That made him look soooo bad, plus the nanny, plus the “divorce.”
@jayna maybe that was the problem. Maybe Jen contributes to his career far mire than people understand. I thought I had read in the past that aside from providing him with a stable family life, he said that he bounced ideas off of her – discussed projects, definitely she pre-screened a lot of his movies. In an interview with ABC when he was promoting Argo, the journalist called her among other things “his constant career counselor” I believe when he filmed gone baby gone – she was in Boston with him, on set etc (she definitely promoted it on letterman).
@jenfan – I think it’s only natural that a split/pending divorce would affect his work. But like @Jayna said, it also seems a case of trying to cram too many storylines in (and, he should have cast someone else for his character.) I don’t think it has anything to do with Jen being some kind of “lucky charm.” Reportedly, they were already in serious trouble when he filmed The Accountant and BvS, both of which did well in certain ways, at least where he was concerned. On this front, I agree with @M above. Ben wanted out of that marriage before they announced – that was clear. It was only when the nanny scandal went public, which immediately followed their divorce announcement, that he seemed to go into somewhat of a tailspin. It’s that same deep insecurity about how he is perceived publicly that makes him feel the need to keep rationalizing his “bad movie/JLo” period over a decade later. This is also why I won’t be surprised if they stay together. He feels like he’s jinxing himself if he leaves, and she’s not going to leave, so…
Totally agree it was his personal life and estrangement from his rock (Jennifer) that was the underlying reason for this. He was not focused during this time and although he tried to pour himself into working on this movie, I don’t think he was able to escape the demons of what he had done and what he was losing. I think he realized what he had too late and it hit him how he had screwed everything up. Just my opinion but I think she grounded him.
I definitely think they split up, even though they live(d) together, I think they do that because she does not want the kids to have two homes that they are shuttled back and forth between. She wants them living with her all the time. Same reason for the holidays together. If they do scheduled visitation then there would be some holidays where it would not be her turn and Ben would have them. I don’t think she could bear that and I think she has leverage over him so she can have the arrangement this way. I definitely think that no matter what others say she puts her kid’s welfare first, even above her own, and thus endures him being part of this arrangement.
They MAY be back together now or working on it, but I definitely think they were split up and may be still are.
“A listers” can’t open movies to big box office anymore.
Not popular to say it here, but I think Affleck draws a hugely unfair amount of ire for some reason. He’s definitely not the best actor, but neither are Brad Pitt or George Clooney and many others who don’t get nearly the same level of scrutiny. He’s a perfectly decent/good director/writer. Better than some, not as good as others. He’s done plenty of good work throughout his career, along with lots of failures. This is true for most in the business. As for LBN, I don’t like Gangster movies, but I’ll probably see it – either in the theater or on demand. And if I don’t like it, I’ll move on with my life and then watch the next one he makes – just like the hundreds of other filmmakers who have hits and flops throughout their careers.
I agree. I will always root for Ben’s career.
Keep on truckin’, Ben.
Ben’s more of a sad sack for me. He hasn’t done anything to produce any ire from me, I just don’t really understand what is going on with him and his career. I guess I wonder if he has his stuff together. I think there in potential there, but I do think he gets a lot of chances.
I don’t actually understand why this is blown into such epic proportions. He was in BvS, which ended up doing relatively well financially and his performance was one of the few things most critics liked about it. And then he made a relative flop, LBN. Other than that though, not all that much to berate over the last 7-8 years. Why is this so shocking? Overall, his track record is pretty good.
I think he’s talented when he is paired with the right material, both as an actor and director. He’s had hits and misses like everybody else. His personal life, I just can’t get worked up about it one way or the other. Jennifer Garner stuck with him when she didn’t really have to, so that’s their business.
JG “stucked ” with him because they have 3 kids and obviously, she gives them priority over herself.
I’m not sure how you know that Ana. I don’t get the Ben hate. He’s a flawed human being whose career has had highs and low. Hardly unusual.
Personally, a lot of my frustration with Ben is he’s been given so many chances – chances that could go to young-and-upcoming directors, for one – and yet he still seems incredibly angry and bitter at the world.
I think he can be talented, but the amount of money Hollywood (particularly Warner Bros.) throws at him without strings is ridiculous.
His track record is pretty terrible actually. I can’t think of any other respected actors who’ve made so many crap films and so few great ones. Maybe someone like Christopher Walken who does weird cameos in a lot of crap, but that’s different from being the lead.
Ben has Forces of Nature, Bounce, Reindeer Games, Pearl Harbour, Changing Lanes, The Sun of All Fears, Daredevil, Gigli, Paycheck, Surviving Christmas, Jersey Girl, Man About Town, He’s Just Not That Into You, Runner Runner, Superhero Face Punch, The Accountant and now this on his resume. All actively bad or extremely forgettable. Even many of his better films are just good-ish, but nothing special eg. Smokin’ Aces, Hollywoodland, State of Play, The Company Men, The Town, Chasing Amy etc.
Shakespeare in Love, Gone Baby Gone, Argo and Gone Girl are as close as he’s gotten to being in truly great films, and none of those are exactly destined to be classics.
Clooney’s filmography is a different story. Only a few actively bad films, and a lot of pretty great ones. A couple of Coen brothers classics, Out of Sight, Solaris, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air, The Descendants, the first Oceans film…some of the rest of it is forgettable and mediocre, some of it missed the mark, but almost all of it is ok to good at least. Batman and Robin is his only Gigli/Daredevil/Pearl Harbour level film, and other than that the worst it gets is watchable mediocrity. Like, the later Oceans films were blah, but I’d rather watch them on a loop for a day than watch Surviving Christmas once. Leatherheads was meh, but compared to Man About Town or He’s Just Not That Into You it’s brilliant. The American didn’t quite pull off what it wanted to, but it’s practically a masterpiece compared to The Sum of All Fears.
In all fairness, CHANGING LANES and HOLLYWOODLAND were quite good–some of his best acting work. But I agree he would never get this many chances if he were non-white or female. And Clooney is smarter about picking material and directors.
Whatever his personal life, I always thought he was good looking. Not anymore–now he is so creepy and smooth.
He’s gained weight. He is a tall guy, 6 foot 4. He is broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. But he’s gained weight. It’s not just his face. You can see it in his clothes the weight he’s gained. In his mid 40s, big guys like that can often put on weight. But the bigger face isn’t a good look. When he’s trimmer, his lean face is what was nice about his looks. Plus, he used to have nice skin. That laser, or whatever he did a year and a half ago, trying to take off years of damage, didn’t look good, so smooth for a guy. But the puffy face now is pure weight gain. He was on one of the late night shows and was busting out of his suit.
He reminds me of Orson Welles in that backseat photo.
It’s tragic how good-looking he used to be and what he’s done to himself. I’ve tried to pinpoint when he started to look ~weird. He looked fine during filming of BvS. I think it must have been after that, maybe some fillers/botox/whatever before doing promo for that movie.
Plus the alcohol bloat. That’s what really makes him look like hell.
He did some fillers and lasers and botox during the filming of Live By Night. That period and after was a weird look on him.
Now, it’s just weight on his face. He needs to trim back down.
His face looked great in Batman and the Accountant, thinner face, more chiseled face. In Live by Night, Ben was bigger all over, heaviest I’ve ever seen him, but he was doing weird stuff to his face trying to look younger also.
I am beginning to think he did all that work on his face to film LBN, where he portrayed a much younger man. Remember when he came on kimmel over a year ago to show the first bvs trailer? He looked so freaky.
Now he has been wearing this grey beard, face looks like it is back to wrinkled. Wonder if he tried to reverse the work he had done. He looks worn for a 44 year old, but not entirely. It’s true in the 2.5 years since gone girl premiered, he has significantly aged – but you know personal problems can do that to a person.
(Jen on the other hand – when she gets dressed and made up looks better than ever )
He’s also overly-groomed, to the point where he doesn’t really look like a normal person anymore. There’s no flaws, smooth skin, perfect hairline, no wrinkles – but people are supposed to have flaws, especially as we age.
Remember this Ben, getting muscled up to play Batman, very fit, but no flabby weight gain, no moobs, lean face with nice bone structure.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c1/07/74/c10774b9adc821279b0a47aca68b8144.jpg
I think people want value for money when going to see a film. Disney films are great b/c they help families create fun experiences for the kids they take to see them.
But a film about white gangsters in the 1900s? How many gangster movies can you keep doing?
I buy movie tickets for stories that relate to me. Like Hidden Figures – the story about black women helping a white man walk on the moon, set during segregation in the US. I went to an all girl high school in OH, where the man who walked on the moon became our senator, and I NEVER, ever knew this story. Neither did my Mom – we have a date to see it this weekend.
I work in the tech industry and doing a startup, and mentor young black girls. Hidden Figures relates to my life and will get my support. #BlackGirlMagic
You will love Hidden Figures, it’s a very well done film and an important story to tell.
I love what you are doing with STEM and mentoring! We need more people like you in the world.
I think you’re right about the value for money. I love going to the movies and go as much as I can, but a few friends have said they only go when it’s something they can’t miss in the theaters because they feel it’s just too expensive, so they aren’t going to go to films like this one.
Where did Ben “Flop” Affleck go to these days? Whenever someone who gets photographed on an almost daily basis disappears, I think they’ve either got plastic surgery or gone to rehab. Did he take his girlfriend on vacation?
It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Negative reviews and bad press are Ben’s kryptonite. He sounds absolutely terrified to fail with The Batman and all of this negative press with LBN will not help. He also obviously has serious substance abuse issues. Warner Bros must be quietly sh*tting their pants.
I went to the movies 1x in Dec 2016 and left bc their ‘re pipes burst and it smelled like pee…it was definitely not to see a Ben Affleck movie.
These days with technology every living room is a movie theatre and I can pause to pee or get a snack
#loverofkodi
I don’t feel sorry for him, not one bit. I think what goes around, comes around — and he had all this bad stuff coming. I wrote him off over the whole Finding Your Roots thing. Someone on LSA noticed a couple of days ago actually that the scandal had been scrubbed from his wikipedia. Can you believe that? (It’s back, as of today btw. Someone complained to the wiki editors.) He is presently using his influence to suppress publicity concerning his brother’s lawsuits as well. He’s a liar, a cheat, a drunk and a phony, and I can’t stand him. I love when he fails. As for Jen Garner, she must be as much of a loser as he is if she is with him. No one with even a modicum of intelligence would handcuff herself to a guy like this.
That’s very harsh. And it’s ironic that once upon a time women were vilified for leaving a marriage, and now they are vilified as a doormat if they stay. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Their decision, in both cases. Staying with the father of your three children doesn’t make you a “loser” IMO.
She’s a loser if she stays with someone who continually humiliates her and her kids. It’s her life and she owes no one any explanations, but I don’t want to see any tears or hear any complaining from her on her next Divorce & Coparenting Media Tour when he embarrasses her next time (and there will be a next time very soon if cuddling with Sienna Miller on a red carpet is any indication). She’ll get no pity from me. She can take all the umbrage she wants — she is still very much his ashes. Always has been, always will be.
I thought this movie opened at an odd time — January?
I think he does better acting when he directs himself, so I don’t mind that he hires himself.
I do think some of his movies are overrated though– other than the gun firing scenes, I’m not really sure what’s supposed to be great about The Town. I did keep watching for him though, so there’s that.
Pics of Ben smoking on Lainey today. So much for that new year’s resolution
You actually believed him when he said that? lol Girl, he’s been saying that he’s going to quit smoking since before his first kid was born. He never has really quit and never will because there are no consequences. He could blow smoke in his kids’ faces all day and no one will say boo to him, let alone do anything.
Why does he always look miserable and bloated?
Seriously Ben Affleck hasn’t had any great movies since Argo, and what makes Argo great was certainly not his acting. The only semi-decent movies he’s done after Argo was Gone Girl and Accountant, which in my opinion, would both be much better off if he was not the leading actor. I guess this says a lot about his ‘star power’.
JG’s stinker movie Nine Lives made $19.7M domestically, higher than LBN and not counting foreign receipts.
Ben’s usual recipe of sex and action didn’t work this time. His attempt to create rumor (could be the truth) between him and Sienna backfired. Instead of getting people intrigued, disgust reigned. His MO of sex in his movies failed on this one. He is no sex symbol nor an action star. For all that is worth, Tom Cruise is a better action star and other actors don’t need to sell sex on their films. Ben’s star power is waning.
He is extremely overrated. The truth is, Hollywood loves a narrative and they ate the ‘comeback kid’ thing. Argo was OK, it was not Oscar best picture worthy. C’mon, let’s be real. Plus the over-Botoxed look is extremely disconcerting.
He is extremely overrated. The truth is, Hollywood loves a narrative and they ate up the ‘comeback kid’ thing. Argo was OK, it was not Oscar best picture worthy. C’mon, let’s be real. Plus the over-Botoxed look is extremely disconcerting.
check out the tumblr garner-affleck that collects excerpts of interviews with Ben in Europe during the promotion of LBN. not only talks about the film, but especially to Jen
Sad thing – I think he truly believes the things he says. Without a doubt there is a strong connection between them. He has had ample opportunity to walk away in the past year, but he didn’t. His behavior on the Live By Night promo tour with Sienna Miller was gross. Sorry Ben – not buying what you are selling.
There was already a big discussion about this on DM days ago. Of course, those who still believe Ben/Jen are a fairy tale couple read exactly what they want into it. But he speaks in the past tense – in response to a question (we don’t see what it is), he says that yes, ” she will always be the love of my life, she is the mother of my children and is someone I still have untold respect for”, etc. He speaks like she is someone he will always love and care for because of the role she’s had in his life, but it doesn’t read like they are “together” anymore. In another part when asked what he thinks of her now, he says she’s a “lovely lady” that he will always admire. lol. But of course, some people are reading into it what they want the story to be. Also, no “family” pap sightings now since before Montana, except arriving at church separately last Sunday. Who knows what that’s about.
@JoJo – I agree he was speaking in past tense when referring to Jen. Interesting that he openly gave those quotes to the European press only knowing that they wouldn’t make there way into mainstream press. I think during the holidays he may have made the decision that he would finally file for divorce after LBN comes out, a fresh start to a New Year, and that’s the reason why they haven’t been papped together since Montana, Jen probably wants it that way. He seemed happier promoting LBN than when he was promoting his previous films. He probably sees how much happier his brother is in a new relationship and feels that he deserves to be happy too. But the massive flop that LBN is has to sting real bad. But he’s a white actor in Hollywood with a huge studio supporting him, he’ll be fine.
That tumblr is embarrassing. Obsessed, much?
Those comments aren’t really interesting or new but of course their fangirls are reading too much into it….
Nope, don’t think they are a fairy-tale couple.
Audiences have Ben Affleck fatigue, he’s had 4 big budget films out in less then a year. He needs to take a long break.
Ben needs to figure his sh!t out, plain and simple. Live By Night was a vanity project more than a passion project but it also was a reflection of his state of mind at the time, unfocused, messy, bloated and in bad need of direction. His personal life did play into the final product, he probably was stretching himself too thin, being pressured by WB to hurry up and make the movie then get on with the movie that really matters to them “Batman” and the DC universe that right now is in a state of disarray.
When Ben was filming LBN, he probably didn’t see his kids as much, he and Jen were probably barely speaking to each other at that time, in fact it was while he was filming that Jen gave her VF interview. He split up with his nanny girlfriend, he didn’t have anyone to stroke his ego, to support him and tell him that he’s the best director ever. Ben needs to file for divorce, he needs closure, it will still be painful because divorce sucks but he’s prolonging the agony by not doing something he knows in his heart he wants to do.
If he’s going to start filming Batman soon, he needs to be in a better place in his head in order for it to be good. Jen has her own career problems, or whatever career she has left, she ‘s got it worse being a 40+ years old actress in Hollywood, he’s getting no sympathy from her.
BTW off topic, but Ben Affleck was spotted in Cabo San Lucas with someone that was definitely NOT Jen Garner .
Where did you see this? Possibly a sober coach? Although weird location for that I guess.
Ben probably spent that$75 million airbrushing his face frame by frame. That picture is hilarious. Glowing line-free skin…his expression attempting to appear wistfully sad. I can’t stand this guy.
He’s not a good director or screenwriter. This was adapted from a Dennis Lehan (?) book and it was super clumsy. Ben is a big guy but you can only hide excess bloat up to a point and he looked like an awkward giant, not the suave gangster with all the ladies that he was supposed to be. His facial changes were quite distracting actually. Lots of clumsy editing and I don’t get why none of the women were allowed to wear bras in this film – including Elle Fanning who was an underage-type character and whose first scene – with Affleck and her onscreen father – featured her nipples (visible under a flimsy top). Creepy.