The Town: Movie Review

Yesterday I saw The Town, a modern day cops-and-robbers flick set in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood starring and directed by Ben Affleck. This film is thrilling, filled with overlapping plots, exhilarating car chases, and plenty of shootouts. While the writing could stand to be just a bit stronger, The Town is nevertheless enjoyable and enthralling.

The film starts silently with a few quotes on Charlestown, the lower-class Irish Catholic suburb of Boston known as the “bank robbing capital of the world.” Immediately, the viewer is transported to the back of a dark van where Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and his gang are preparing for their next heist. The foursome – donning rubber skull masks – violently bust their way into a bank, forcibly ordering the employees the ground and carrying out every step of their plan like well-rehearsed choreography. Doug gently coaxes terrified bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), into opening the vault. After the gang fills their bags with cash, Doug deviates from the plan and abducts the young woman, only to release her at the beach unharmed. The criminals seem to have gotten away with the sting until they discover that Claire lives in their neighborhood and could jeopardize their security. When sent to look into the situation, Doug finds himself quickly captivated by the witness. After accepting his invitation to go on a date, Claire unwittingly falls for the covert robber, creating complications for all parties involved when the FBI comes knocking.

Hall and Affleck have some one-on-one time.

The Town has much to be applauded in the acting department. Jon Hamm as FBI Agent Frawley and Jeremy Renner as Doug’s volatile best friend prove to be standouts in a large cast, while Hall radiates authenticity. Leading man Ben Affleck is believable in his return to his Boston roots, but his sincere performance reads a bit flat. Blake Lively’s turn as a wasted mother is a bit of a stretch, but besides her unintelligible speech in an awkward accent, her bit is acceptable.

Hamm (left, with Affleck) shines as a ruthless FBI agent.

I have to admit, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this film. The story of a posh good girl charming the renegade outlaw into changing his ways is a bit of a cliché, but somehow Affleck invigorates the story with a well-directed combination of decent performances, well-paced plot, and gripping action that is irresistibly entertaining.