A Boston career criminal develops feelings for a bank manager from a previous heist, just as the FBI begin to close in on his neighborhood gang.
CRIME/DRAMA
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The Town (2010)Directed by Ben Affleck
Written by Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard Starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper, Titus Welliver Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan Oscar Nominations - Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner) |
I can't think of any film that showcases the darkest aspects of Boston more than this film, particularly the divisive neighborhood of Charlestown. That neighborhood has bred more bank and armored truck robbers than any other in the entire country, and the pride the people of the Town take in that is remarkably insane. With this film, Ben Affleck showed his intense skill as a director and furthered his already cemented talent as a screenwriter. His performance ain't bad either; a welcome part of this amazing ensemble of character actors, including one of the final roles of the late great Pete Postlethwaite. Regrettably, Affleck would regress back into the douchebag we all knew and hated, but there was a brief time there where he was a filmmaking force to be reckoned with.
Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a former hockey pro who lost his shot at the big time and became the leader of a gang of expert thieves. His best friend is Jem (Renner), a hothead psycho willing and ready to get his hands dirty. The heist scenes are so well done, and the three heists each represent a significant turning point in Doug's commitment to the life. During the first heist, they take a hostage, the bank manager Claire Keesey (Hall). Doug feels bad about it, and also wants to know if she knows anything from the feds. But, he falls for her, and she for him, making things way more complicated. Jon Hamm plays Agent Frawley, the obsessive FBI agent hunting the crew. But my favorite performance goes to Postlethwaite, who plays local crime boss Fergie, whom they all pay tribute to. The film is a nonstop thrill ride that just keeps on giving the whole time. Sure, there are a lot of corny moments that definitely feel cinematic and not realistic. There's shit here that nobody would ever really say. But I don't care. The movie is so damn good that it earns the right to be ridiculous at times. I miss this Affleck. He had talent, patience, an eye, everything. Becoming Batman destroyed all that for him, in more ways than one. But we'll always have The Town, his crowning achievement as a director. |
The Town starts off with a pop, introducing us to some bank robbers in Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston. Affleck had just directed Gone Baby Gone in 2007, but he didn’t act in that one. The Town displays both of his talents and I couldn’t be happier. This has become something that I quote all the time, and love to revisit as it is one of the better pure Boston films.
Affleck portrays Doug MacRay, who is the leader of this heist crew. They are your typical Boston dudes, big hockey fans who like to bust each other’s balls nonstop. Doug’s best buddy Jem is played spectacularly by Jeremy Renner, who doesn’t get this kind of freedom enough. Jem is the most memorable character by far and a legendary Boston film character at that. Blake Lively does a damn good job of convincing us that she belongs in this kind of a film, playing a shockingly authentic single mother who is addicted to drugs. The screen simply gets more interesting when Lively is there. Doug is caught in something like a love triangle, but can he fend off the cops and his old ways before it’s too late? The Town is the best heist film we have seen in quite some time, reminiscent of classics like Heat and The Departed. |