This movie was a surprise to me on many levels. I am a fan of Affleck's, yet have not seen Gigli, nor Batman, mainly because superhero roles I haven't watched since Christopher Reeves' Superman. But I have seen pretty much all of his other movies, and have to say, he gave an amazingly great, nuanced performance. His connection as more than an Uncle, a Dad in every way that counts, to his young nephew, who has been abandoned by his biological father, who he only knows only as a voice on the radio( his father is an abusive alcoholic, but a well-known radio announcer) whom the boy keeps hoping will finally, one day, come to see him.
For his entire life, and through all of his stages of growing up, it is his Uncle Charlie, (the owner/ bartender of a bar that the young man, JR, hangs out at) who is always there for him, always giving advice to him, and basically has stepped into the shoes of a father figure. Affleck has down perfectly the men who themselves grew up and came of age in the 1940's, as this movie is set mainly in the Long Island of the 70's & 80's. He has the Long Island accent, looks, mannerism's, gestures, and quiet tenderness and benevolence, that many men of the 40's had.
Most did not overtly show their feelings in an outward fashion, but in more subtle ways to their sons. Dead on perfect. This is the era I grew up in, & he brought alive to me my father, and the many uncles I was surrounded by, all of whom, were from Long Island, btw.
The movie itself is not perfect, has tangential characters/ stories, that may/ may not be to everyones liking and can drag in places, is deliberately slow paced. But I think Clooney, the Director, intended it to be both: a character study and to show the unfolding of this relationship throughout the years, into the nephew's adulthood.
I feel as if it is a stellar( Award-worthy) performance from Affleck, within a less-than-perfect, but good movie. I hope that doesn't prevent the nominations/awards from coming, it did not in the case of lets say, Bohemian Rhapsody, where the mediocre script certainly did not prevent Rami Malik's incredible performance from winning. I am hoping this performace will certainly be that for Affleck.