“Live by Night,” the latest
film from writer-director-actor
Ben Affleck (“Argo”), stumbles
in its opening minute. In a sepia
montage of his World War I
service, Affleck’s Joe Coughlin
reveals that his experience in
the terrible European war taught
him not that violence is bad, but
that he should fundamentally
distrust rules. That’s really all
we know of Coughlin, besides
his Irish origin and that he has a
police chief for a father (Brendan
Gleeson, “Calvary”). He became
a
gangster
—
a
relatively
powerful one at that (though
the extent and mechanics of his
success is rather oblique) — in
prohibition-era Boston. Little
internal conflict, little moral
struggle. Just breaking the rules.
It’s not really a motive, but it’s an
excuse for Affleck to have a lot
of fun behind and in front of the
camera.
Breaking the rules means a
lot of killing, appropriate for
a gangster movie. Coughlin
moves from Boston to Florida
to escape his rival gangster,
Albert White (Robert Glenister,
“Close to the Enemy”), enraged
at Coughlin for an affair with
his mistress, Emma (Sienna
Miller, “Foxcatcher”). In Ybor
City, outside of Tampa, he
works in a rum business run by
Italian Mafioso Maso Pescatore
(Remo Girone, “La Piovra”),
all the while looking to expand
into gambling in Sarasota once
prohibition inevitably ends. He’s
reunited with his old partner,
Dion (Chris Messina, “Cake”),
and finds love in Graciela (Zoe
Saldana, “Star Trek Beyond”),
whose brother runs a business
in the area. Coughlin maneuvers
around the local police chief
(Chris Cooper, “Demolition”),
whose brother-in-law (Matthew
Maher,
“Gone
Baby
Gone”)
works in the Ku Klux Klan
and whose daughter Loretta
(Elle Fanning, “20th Century
Women”) goes off to Hollywood
but
becomes
an
anti-vice
Christian preacher, throwing a
wrench in Coughlin’s plans.
Confused
yet?
It’s
only
natural, given the sheer density
of the plot. But
even complicated
stories can entice
the
audience,
revealing
details
slowly
and
methodically.
“Live
by
Night”
fails
on
this
front,
revealing
details
quickly,
all at once and
without
building
up. Affleck, who
adapted
Dennis
Lehane’s novel of the same
name, uses extensive voice over
by Coughlin as a crutch; he
blandly outlines his motives and
the ensuing events, but with so
little clarity that fundamental
names and faces are left unclear,
even at the end. Affleck seems
more concerned with getting to
the elaborate set pieces (which
themselves
are
beautifully
crafted, though often times
confusing for those following
along), but he forgot to show
what they mean.
And that’s a problem when
the
film
is
fundamentally
a
dialogue-heavy
movie
masquerading as a gangster
action film. Take the romance
between Emma and Joe that
propels the opening of the film.
We learn rather quickly the two
are together, aided by Harry
Gregson-Williams’s
(“The
Martian”) lush score, but we feel
nothing for them. They’re just in
a secretive relationship, devoid
of any true passion that we can
discern from the screen, aside
from furious kissing.
The film’s reliance on dialogue
and voice over to reveal key bits
of information is complicated by
a litany of sound issues: first, that
the sound mixing itself is rather
poor, so the characters’ words
aren’t very clear; and second,
that “Live by Night” takes place
during the melting pot era of
immigration, but before the
actual
melting
itself — the wildly
varying
accents
are
strong
and
it takes work to
adjust as rapidly
as the screenplay
demands.
And
Affleck’s camera,
in those heavy-
dialogue
scenes,
has little sense
of
placement.
Every
cut
is
a
distraction,
slightly off-putting, which can
increase tension but decreases
comprehension.
Ben Affleck, whose directorial
work to date has been a success,
is just not as great as an actor.
His
voice,
a
monotonous
extended vocal fry adorned with
a strangely somewhat modern
Boston accent, delivers lines
reliably but with no emotional
support or sense of spontaneity.
There’s
nothing
that
feels
truly alive in the film, albeit
beautifully rendered.
There is something special
about this film, though. At those
few moments when ’20s cars’
engines are roaring and Tommy
guns are blaring, scored by
music that sounds like a swarm
of bees taking vengeance on a
hive heckler, “Live by Night”
comes alive. And a sun-soaked
gangster-laden Florida on the
verge
of
massive
economic
expansion mixed with rapidly
changing
demographics,
a
strange rarity in cinema history,
is enchanting visual candy.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 — 5A
“The Young Pope” is HBO’s
newest original series that,
in
accordance
with
HBO’s
niche, flirts with themes of
disturbia and abuse of power.
This time, however, it does so
in a manner that takes on the
heart of religion itself. In what
is possibly Jude Law’s (“The
Holiday”)
most
outlandish
performance,
he
portrays
a youthful Pope Pius XIII.
Perhaps the most frightening
aspect of this new drama is
just how disturbing change can
feel in a place untouched by the
ages. After watching just an
episode, I’m unsure whether
I should continue with the
series or consider returning to
church.
Despite the backwardness
of it all, the series poses an
interesting question in the
unprecedented
election
of
a, well, young Pope: How
might the new Pope’s more
conservative ideals fit into the
Catholic church moving in a
more progressive direction?
It’s an interesting idea that
(though unheard of) deserves
consideration. However, it is
also quite an uncomfortable
hypothetical
to
ponder.
Fictional Pope Pius XIII — also
known as Lenny Belardo, The
Holy Father or His Eminence
— is an unconventional Pope,
one who claims heresy against
a carbonated beverage and
demands the papal crown’s
deliverance from Washington
D.C. for personal enjoyment.
In one instance, he goes as
far to question the existence
of God in a conversation that
can either be interpreted with
a twisted sense of humor or
as an actual confession, as he
does claim not to buy into the
tradition of Confession. After
all, what should the Pope have
to confess?
Although the corruption of
power is palpable at times, it is
the instances in which Lenny
silently abuses his power —
picking at the inner workings
of the Vatican as a skilled
musician
might
pluck the strings
of their instrument
— that are most
captivating.
Cleverly
wicked,
Law’s performance
of the new Pope
is at its best when
he quietly asserts
dominance over the
Church, reminding
his followers of his
divine powers. If
nothing else, it is a
depiction of how a
narcissist’s rise to power in one
of the most powerful places on
Earth could affect everything
we know.
Though “The Young Pope”
can feel outrageous at times,
it’s important to remember
that the series is quite aware
of the boundaries its creators
are
pushing
with
religion
and
social
controversies.
When posed with a question
regarding God’s house, Lenny
muses: “Half of a duplex …
with
a
private
swimming
pool.” With multiple fourth-
wall transgressions, the series
is hyper-cognizant of its own
mordant sense of humor. From
pop music cues to talks of
increasing cell phone coverage
within the Vatican, this new
Pope listens to no voice other
than his own.
However, there are times
in
which
one
is
unsure
whether to laugh with mirth
or nervousness. “Jokes are
rarely telling,” Lenny proffers,
a saying that is ironically in
contradiction to the premise of
the series. The series ponders
the more serious questions of
power abuse in
a darker drama.
Though
sassy
at
times,
it’s
important
to
remember
the
parallels
the
“The
Young
Pope”
draws
to
the
social
commentary of
today.
With a flick
of
a
cigarette
and the spilling
ash striking the
Vatican’s marble floors, Law
breathes, “There’s a new Pope
now.” One cannot help but
enthusiastically
agree
with
that statement, as he gracefully
glides over the Vatican as if
it were a stage, a smug smile
plastered to his face. “The
Young Pope” questions religion
and takes on challenging and
outlandish subject matter, the
cinematographically
pleasing
shots, partnered with Jude
Law’s
stellar
performance
and the striking similarities
between today’s culture, make
watching “The Young Pope” a
dark pleasure.
DANIEL HENSEL
Daily Film Editor
‘The Young Pope’ is as
captivating as it is absurd
Pittsburgh’s Code Orange does
not care about rules. They don’t
care about genre definitions,
expectations or limits of any kind.
The band has been redefining
hardcore music from the ground
up since their inception, and on
their third album, Forever, they
show no signs of stopping.
Forever is as beautifully brutal
as the band has ever been, while
throwing in signature twists and
turns that have catapulted them to
their current spotlight. Drummer
and vocalist Jami Morgan said
the band’s latest album is different
and highlighted their upcoming
promotional tour that hits Detroit
on January 17, 2017 at El Club.
“There’s
all
these
textual
layers and soundscapes, and
there’s super hard-hitting stuff
and there’s stuff that’s super
dynamic,” Morgan said. “I felt
like all these different forms of art
on the album cover represented
all those worlds coming together;
kind of saying there are no rules.”
The album is boundless, at
once tapping into what can be
expected of Code Orange while
reaching farther than the band
has gone before. With grunge-
pop curveballs like “Bleeding
in the Blur” and the snarling
shoegaze on “Ugly,” Forever
is an engulfing album and a
captivating listen from the start.
The tour lineup is as dynamic
as the album.
“There’s different bands on the
whole tour, and it’s super diverse
and that’s how I wanted it to be,”
Morgan said.
The Detroit date will feature
Youth Code, an electronic duo
reminiscent of Crystal Castles
with harsher vocals, in direct
support.
Additional
support
comes from Lifeless, a heavy-
hitting
hardcore
group
that
utilizes lightning fast rhythms.
Code
Orange’s
live
performances are evolving just as
much as the band’s songwriting.
“For this tour our guitarist kind
of made a whole album’s worth of
music, original music, that is like
weird samples. It’s really well
put together,” Morgan said. “It’s
like a mixture of everything from
soundtracking music, to weird
industrial music, to just noise
music, and it’s playing between all
the bands at the show.”
The
band
is
reinventing
what can be expected of their
performances, while amplifying
their uniquely brooding aesthetic.
Code Orange is unapologetically
taking power over their own
expression, keeping their sound
and performance fresh while
sticking with their thematic
status quo.
“I think the last record (I Am
King) we did was very much about
kind of coming into your own, and
being better than who you think
you are,” Morgan said. “I think
this record very much well deals
with that, dealing with backlash
from other people to what you’re
doing, and at the same time, kind
of just learning how to deal with
pain and internal struggle on top
of that.”
Jumping off I Am King, Code
Orange
deliberately
moved
between different aspects of
metal — creating a new way of
performing.
“We’re kind of setting off and
doing our own little DIY version
— our version of performance
art… making art and blending it
with this straightforward, punch
in the jaw, painful, hardcore metal
music, kind of blurring those lines
a little bit more, in our own way.”
Code Orange keeps their music
relevant by putting tremendous
effort into keeping their followers
on their toes.
“I’m
literally
constantly
thinking about this stuff 24/7
and it’s almost like until we finish
a record, it’s like an unfinished
puzzle and all the pieces are
mixed up,” Morgan said. “We
knew
what
we
wanted
to
accomplish, but at the same time
it’s hard to get there sometimes.
It’s very rewarding.”
As stated in an interview
with Rolling Stone, it’s a painful
process putting these pieces
together, but Forever proves to be
a rewarding result.
The show in Detroit will be an
opportunity to see Code Orange
unleash one of their most diverse
sets to date at the stunningly
intimate El Club, and it’s the
perfect place for metal fans and
newcomers alike to experience
one of the most prominent bands
bringing daring change to metal’s
sphere of music.
Code Orange comes to El
DEATHWISH INC.
Standard issue band-against-a-wall.
DOMINIC POLSINELLI
Daily Arts Writer
B-
“The Young Pope”
Series Premiere
Sundays @ 9 p.m.
HBO
Visually appealing ‘Live
by Night’ muddles plot
C-
“Live by Night”
Warner Bros.
Pictures
Rave CInemas,
Quality 16
MEGAN MITCHELL
Daily Arts Writer
FILM REVIEW
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
TV REVIEW
Classifieds
Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
ACROSS
1 Baja vacation
spot
5 Tree’s sticky
output
8 Neck mark from
necking
14 Razor name
15 Suffix with pay
16 Taking the place
(of)
17 Silly sort
19 Polish port where
Solidarity was
founded
20 Music producer
Brian
21 Dueling sword
22 “Hannah and __
Sisters”: Woody
Allen film
23 Formal
pronouncements
25 Zeros
30 Pay with plastic
32 __ of: done with
33 Not at home
34 The Judds, e.g.
35 Migration
formation
36 Move in the wind
37 Anniversary
celebration at the
Met, say
42 Numbered
musical piece
43 Grunting female
44 Slowing, on a
music score:
Abbr.
45 Little point to pick
46 Sick __ dog
47 Spitball need
50 Disputed Mideast
territory
53 R&B singer
Baker
55 “That’s all __
wrote”
56 Fermented
honey drink
58 The USA’s 50
59 Nissan model
62 Infantile
vocalizations,
and a hint to the
starts of 17-, 25-,
37- and 50-
Across
64 Series of related
emails
65 Luau instrument
66 Curved molding
67 Fort Bragg mil.
branch
68 Boston hrs.
69 Dandelion, e.g.
DOWN
1 Confined, as a
bird
2 Not accented, as
syllables
3 Ornamental pin
4 Doofus
5 Ivory in the tub
6 State without
proof
7 Prefix with -lithic
8 Bogart film set in
a California
range
9 Truly
10 Irish county
bordering
Limerick
11 Next of __
12 Wide shoe widths
13 Guffaw
18 Face adversity
well
24 Cries of triumph
26 Layered cookie
27 Bridal attire
28 Avocado dip, for
short
29 Eyelid sore
31 Dates one
person
exclusively
35 Ex-GIs’ gp.
36 Lustrous fabric
37 Bell hit with a
padded mallet
38 Samoan capital
39 Skating leap
40 Have a good
laugh
41 Address for a
noblewoman
46 Traditional Hindu
retreat
47 Delivers a lecture
48 Facial expression
49 Postwar British
prime minister
51 Autumn blossom
52 Suffuse (with)
54 Queried
57 Help with a heist
59 Actor Erwin
60 “Come again?”
sounds
61 FDR agency
63 Illegal parker’s
risk
By Alan DerKazarian
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/17/17
01/17/17
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
xwordeditor@aol.com
THESIS EDITING
joanhutchinson@att.net
www.writeonA2.com
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