Remember when Ben Affleck was known for dating JLo, then dumped her and married another Jennifer instead? And then he silently retreated off screen and on. Then there was chatter about him directing? I admit I was skeptical too, but after watching Gone Baby Gone, all those JLo shenanigans went down the drain. Ben Affleck came back with guns blazing. This movie was not only smart and well directed but just a damn good film. Award season came along and Gone Baby Gone received only one Oscar nomination: Amy Ryan for Best Supporting Actress. Granted, it was a tough year with some crazy nominees including the Cohens for No Country and Jason Reitman’s Juno. But the shun was on.
Fast forward to 2010. Affleck makes The Town and premieres to critical acclaim. You may not have seen this movie, but I’m telling you, this movie is jam packed with goodness. Think Heat, but set in Charlestown instead of Los Angeles. Though this film doesn’t have that murky, raw look as Gone Baby Gone, it still has all the “dirtiness.” Jeremy Renner is ridiculous in this film, and I mean good. You almost forgot that he was the prick in S.W.A.T. This guy is exceptional in this movie and his Oscar nod is well deserved. But there it is again, the sole Oscar nomination. What is that? Not even Best Picture with 10 nominees? Stiff competition you say? There are some killer contenders including Black Swan, The Social Network and The King’s Speech. But I’m wondering just how long the Academy is going to wait before they recognize Affleck the filmmaker.
I read this article last year in the New York Times about how Warner is moulding Ben Affleck to be the “Boston” director, like how New York is for Martin Scorsese. Look how long it took Scorsese to win his Oscar. I’m not saying Affleck is a Scorsese, but hey, at least Scorsese got nominated.
Death and Peaches 