As a writer/director, Ben Affleck enjoyed an impressive streak of exceptional pictures, creating truly fantastic efforts in “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Town,” and “Argo.” He showcased a filmmaking talent unseen in his thespian pursuits up to this point, regenerating his enthusiasm for the art form with movies that were easily among the best of their respective years. With “Live by Night,” Affleck’s instincts fail him for the first time, abandoning the relative intimacy of his previous endeavors to mastermind a gangster saga adapted from a 2012 Dennis Lehane novel, giving him narrative responsibilities that quickly overwhelm him. “Live by Night” is a frustrating sit before it becomes a dull one, with Affleck unable to shake himself out of a creative coma, treating the material too preciously, refusing to give it the adrenaline shot it needs. It certainly doesn’t suggest Affleck has lost his touch, but the feature does showcase his tendency for misguided passion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com