Not just because he married Sydney Bristow

Entertainment Weekly has a feature on Ben Affleck in the new issue (the one with Sandra Bullock on the cover) which I would link to if I could, but they only post some of their articles online and visa versa, which I actually appreciate because then I feel like I subscribe for good reason. In it, they basically say that Ben is a good director, on his way to being a great one. Gone Baby Gone was a well structured movie, Amy Ryan got an Oscar nod, and critics liked it. He is directing The Town which comes out September 17th, and I can not wait to see it. It is a heist movie, and Jon Hamm and Blake Lively are in it. All pluses. Oh, and Ben Affleck is in it. Also a plus.
Yes, that is right. I said Ben Affleck acting in a movie is a plus. I wish him luck in his future directing endeavors, and I think they will be great, but Ben started off an actor, and a damn fine one. So for all the people who automatically hate Ben because he did Gigli, or was half of Bennifer (seriously, Kevin Smith, you had to know that was gonna stick) or because he made the movie Paycheck and spray tanned himself until he resembled George Hamilton, I am here to launch his defense.

Firstly, we know the man can act. He was excellent in Hollywoodland, where he played a dejected has-been who was anxious to reinvent his career. Now, I see the obvious joke there, but he was great in the part, and he had balls to take the role, because EVERYONE saw the obvious joke. He was great in Changing Lanes, where he managed to hold up against Samuel L. Jackson, even while Sam was doing his best scenery chewing. He was great in Chasing Amy, in a role that many people would have gone over the top with. And he was great in Bounce, which was a terrible movie, but he was really good in a thankless role. Which brings us to the second thing we know about Ben: STOP letting your women choose your movies. This has never worked out well. Bounce, Forces of Nature, Paycheck, Jersey Girl (which for the record I loved, but I can recognize the faults of) and yes, Gigli, were all taken under the advice of women. Namely JLo and FakeBrit Gywn. So it isn't taste in movies he had trouble with, it was women. Happily, now that he has the world's coolest wife (she is supermom! she is hot! she was the bestest SpyChick ever!) he can get back to doing what he does best. Acting, writing, directing, and looking dreamy.

And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the man can make fun of himself. He knows he was way overexposed in the media. He knows that literally kissing Jennifer Lopez's ass in a video was a poor decision. He knows that just because he loved Daredevil as a kid and wanted the movie to be great, willing a movie into greatness does not work. And he knows that if you are going to make a epic war movie that has astounding special effects, you should also make sure it has a PLOT. But everyone gets a bad movie or two without people holding it against them (All the Pretty Horses, Matt? Really?). And if Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back taught us anything, it is that Ben Affleck can take a joke. Especially when the joke is on him.

So no more joking about Ben. He has been a good sport, but he has laid low, made good movies for the past five-ish years, married a great woman, had two adorable girls and has only gotten better looking. And if you still don't love him? It is ok. I have enough love for him to go around.