It’s been eight years since Justice League debuted in theaters, and opinions remain divided. Some believe it could have been the greatest comic book movie ever. Others call it trash. Then there are people like this writer who enjoyed it for what it was. No matter how you feel about Justice League, the desired effect was achieved. People still talk about it and likely still watch it. It’s why news about the cast is still relevant. This brings us to the topic of today’s article about Ben Affleck.
During an interview with GQ, Ben Affleck talked about his time while filming Justice League and how it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Not specifically because of the cast and crew. He said, “A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations. And also, by the way, I wasn’t bringing anything particularly wonderful to that equation at the time, either. I had my own failings, significant failings, in that process and at that time.”
"Then you do more of it to make that discomfort go away. Then the real pain starts. It becomes a vicious cycle you can’t break. That’s at least what happened to me."Ben Affleck
Throughout the interview, Affleck lamented about how problems in his marriage, drinking, and other vices attributed to his experience on set being altered. To make things worse, when Affleck showed a Batman script to someone, they said it was good but worried about him drinking himself to death. While someone being worried about his health is a good thing, the honesty of the situation must have hurt. Thankfully, Ben Affleck is five years sober and says his sobriety has helped him with his work.
The one thing that came to mind during this interview is how mental health is something people forget about when movies and shows are being filmed. You’re away from the people you love, you’re working long hours, and it seems impossible to have a consistent sleep pattern. Some people will read this and say it’s the cost of money and fame, and they’d be correct. Nevertheless, the performers we love are still human.
Someone might look at the finished product and only see the shining new thing in front of them and then have the nerve to berate the performers involved. But the truth is that they will never know that they might be going through things in their personal life. But because they’re millionaires, it's okay to say the things they're saying.
It’s more than okay not to like a movie or a performance. This writer is guilty of saying negative things about Madame Web. However, there's a difference between not liking a movie and insulting those involved in it, especially if they are at their worst.
In short, there’s a difference between the art and the artist. There are tons of horrible things going on in the world, and the people who deserve our criticism should be held accountable. That being said, if you’re upset at someone because they didn’t meet your expectations, maybe don’t find them online and say awful things about them.
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