Ben Affleck’s baby bro turns 40 today. Wow. I think the first film I consciously remember seeing Casey Affleck in was Good Will Hunting, and for a long time I believed he wasn’t nearly as talented as his brother. I didn’t really see potential in Casey Affleck until 2006’s The Last Kiss, which blossomed into fantastic turns in Gone Baby Gone, The Assassination of Jesse James, and Out Of The Furnace. Interestingly, he also followed his brother into directing, having made the Joaquin Phoenix (documentary?) I’m Still Here.
BEST PERFORMANCE:
His Oscar nominated turn in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is definitely his strongest work. It’s such a difficult role to play. Affleck plays Ford with this obviously creepy overtone the whole film, so that even when you feel sorry for Ford, you never would want to give him a hug. Danger Will Robinson! (Or, in this case, Jesse James)
MOST ICONIC ROLE:
Cinematically, he’d be best known based on his Oscar nominated turn in Jesse James, but that movie didn’t make much at the box office, so this is where franchises win out. He’s probably best known (aside from being Ben Affleck’s brother) for the Oceans Eleven franchise.
MOST UNDERRATED ROLE
I think it is well accepted that he was great in Gone Baby Gone, but I think he was great also in The Last Kiss, a film that has been largely written off but deserves a second glance. Paul Haggis wrote the screenplay, and Tony Goldwyn directed. Affleck co-stars with Zach Braff.
BEST PERFORMANCE I’VE HEARD WAS GOOD AND HAVEN’T SEEN
I’ve heard mixed reviews about the movie, but I heard he was good in The Killer Inside Me.
WORST PERFORMANCE
I’ve already picked Drowning Mona before for other actors, but honestly Soul Survivors was just as bad. Either film qualifies here.
Roles/Films I’ve Seen:
1) To Die For (1995)
2) Race The Sun (1996)
3) Chasing Amy (1996)
4) Good Will Hunting (1997)
5) American Pie (1999)
6) Drowning Mona (2000)
7) American Pie 2 (2001)
8) Soul Survivors (2001)
9) Oceans Eleven (2001)
10) Oceans Twelve (2004)
11) The Last Kiss (2006)
12) Oceans Thirteen (2007)
13) Gone Baby Gone (2007)
14) The Assassination Of Jesse James (2008)
15) Tower Heist (2011)
16) ParaNorman (2012)
17) Out Of The Furnace (2013)
18) Interstellar (2014)
