Ben Affleck has the Midas touch in Hollywood with many of his films striking gold at the box office. The star has done the gamut of roles ranging from dramas, comedies, and thrillers to playing one of DC’s most celebrated superheroes, Batman. The Gone Girl star has also proved that he is not a one trick pony by venturing into screenwriting, directing and production that saw the actor becoming one of Hollywood’s most exciting creative artists.
Affleck’s expertise behind the camera won him 2 Oscars, one for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting and the other for Best Film for Argo which Affleck produced as well apart from being the director. With the highs always come the lows and Affleck is no stranger to tough times. Despite a few projects not being well received, the Daredevil star has always had the capacity to bounce back from failure. One particular film with his wife Jennifer Lopez still holds pride of place in Affleck’s heart despite a negative response from audiences and critics.
Gigli Helped Ben Affleck Become A Director
In 2003, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez who were then one of Hollywood’s most popular real-life couple, starred together for the first time in Martin Brest’s Gigli. The crime rom-com which was supposed to surpass expectations mainly due to the casting of “Bennifer”, did just the opposite and flopped at the box office.
With criticisms of cringeworthy dialogues and a script that was incomprehensible, Gigli was struck down brutally by audiences and critics. But this failure turned out to be the fire that kindled Ben Affleck’s desire to first take up directing. Speaking of the positive effect of negativity, Affleck said,
Interestingly, I learned more about directing on that movie than anything else because Marty [Brest] is a brilliant director, really gifted.If the reaction to Gigli hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have ultimately decided, ‘I don’t really have any other avenue but to direct movies’ which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life. So in those ways, it’s a gift.”
The hands-on filmmaking experience that he gained on the sets of Gigli along with an awareness of how films work at the box office, enabled Affleck to use these learnings in his directorial ventures.
Is Ben Affleck A Better Director Than Actor?
There’s no denying that Ben Affleck is a force to reckon with in Hollywood. While The Town star has done his fair share of memorable roles, it is through his screenwriting and directorial skills that he created majors sparks. This has led to a section of critics calling him a better director than an actor. Some believed that while Affleck did not have to stretch himself too far as an actor and was content to play it safe, his edgier more adventurous side revealed itself when he was behind the lens as a director. Other critics though, have stuck their neck out to heap high praise on Affleck as an actor-director.
“There’s no other filmmaker-actor who, frame for frame and meme for meme, has given us as much pleasure.”
Many experts have even compared Affleck to the iconic Robert Redford who is considered the gold standard for actors-turned-directors. With the Justice League star adding another feather to his cap by starting a new production house venture with longtime friend Matt Damon, the sky is the limit for Ben Affleck.
Source: The Things
