There’s a fun cast here, too. Aside from Affleck himself, there’s Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Jeremy Piven, Andy Garcia and Peter Berg on the call sheet (as well as a young Chris Pine). There’s a reasonable amount of exposition you need to digest, and things are put into place early on that it really helps to pay attention to. Carnahan then puts his foot to the floor, unleashing a carnival of entertainment that rewards more than one viewing.

It’d be fair to acknowledge that Smokin’ Aces is as divisive as any movie on this list. Some lost it altogether, others just report they think it’s all a bit of a mess. But there’s a more convincing argument, for us anything, that the whole thing is damn good – if confusing – fun. Worth watching at least once, probably twice.

6. Jersey Girl

Let’s deal with the one that the law seems to say you have to hate. Jersey Girl struggled at the box office, not aided by following Gigli on the Affleck slate. It’s also Kevin Smith taking a slightly different path than he had been doing with his View Askew movies. And, for my money, it’s a charming, sold piece of work, with plenty to like about it.

Affleck here plays Ollie, a man who’s life has dealt him some unpleasant cards, who’s left in custody of his young daughter. It’s a dark character he plays here, as Ollie tries to put his life back together. The key moment is when he meets Liv Tyler’s Maya, but to gel with her he’s got to get over all that’s gone before. And as Jersey Girl progresses, it’s clear that’s no easy task.

It’s a bit bumpy in places this one, and inevitably its tone is a little uneven. But I’d argue that the latter is part of the point: this is far from a cut and dried romcom, and Affleck is a good choice to lead it. Appreciating some people didn’t like it, you can’t shake the sense that some reacted to the circumstances it was released in rather than the final movie itself. Because if you pick it up and watch it on a quiet night in, Jersey Girl is a rewarding little movie.