With 2007's Gone Baby Gone, actor-turned-director Ben Affleck gave many of his most vocal critics reason for pause. Few were expecting an award-winning effort from the tabloid-friendly star of such middling films as Armageddon, Reindeer Games, and Gigli, but that's exactly what they got with his brilliant adaptation of Dennis Lehane's potboiler. With his latest work, the gritty crime noir The Town, Affleck once again proves that, while perhaps lacking a certain element in front of the camera, he is an auteur in the making behind it.
We are first told of the unique place held by Charlestown, Massachusetts -- otherwise known as the robbery capital of the United States. This one neighborhood outside Boston has produced more bank and armored car thieves than any other, and we are immediately introduced to four of them: Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan (Slaine), a getaway expert; Desmond Elden (Owen Burke), a specialist with alarms; James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), a ex-con bad-ass who loves his weaponry; and Doug MacRay (Affleck), former hockey prospect and now the thoughtful brains behind the outfit. Working for a local mobster named Fergus 'Fergie' Colm (Pete Postlethwaite), this gang is always one step ahead of the law.
Frantic FBI man Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) wants this to change immediately, and when the foursome take young bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage, he sees his in. Working with the frightened gal, he gets inside the Charlestown neighborhood, and soon starts making connections. In the meantime, James is concerned that Claire will be a problem, so Doug agrees to "take care" of it. Instead, he falls in love with the fragile beauty, seeing in her a life he's never had. Desperate to get out of the game, he agrees to one more massive heist, hoping it will let him pay off Fergie, sneak away, and forget his days as high tech street hoodlum forever.
Compelling, complex, and crackling with suspense, Affleck's sophomore effort is every bit as good as his first foray into feature filmmaking. Using Chuck Hogan's 2005 novel Prince of Thieves as a starting point and letting his narrative play out over a languid but legitimately intense two hour plus pace, The Town initially takes one by surprise. The crime element is handled with matter of fact fierceness, our band of gun-toting antiheroes able to outsmart almost everyone involved. As they quickly move from preplanned problem solving to animalistic violence, Affleck lets his confrontational approach and rapid fire editing style answer for any plot holes. In fact, it's hard to notice the missteps when the film keeps us grounded in the lives of these working class scrubs.
On the other side of the law, Mad Men's Hamm is just that -- a scenery chewing G-man who wants Doug and his buddies taken down, no matter how. His character gets lots of bravado-filled speeches and showdowns with his costars, but he never gets the upper hand. In fact, Affleck wants us to root for these hoodlums even as they are spraying the supposed good guys with magazine after magazine of bullets. There are three main action set-pieces here and each one is terrific. In particular, a car chase in between the back alleys of a downtown business district is edge of your seat sensational. From an acting standpoint, Affleck saves most of the moodier material for himself. Elsewhere, Renner delivers on his promise of ever-present fireplug ferocity while Gossip Girl's Blake Lively is a revelation as James's drugged out, deeply troubled sister.
While it may lack Gone Baby Gone's twisty, amoral bitterness, and ends on a note too bright for the rest of its desperate darkness, The Town is still a terrific film. Ben Affleck has never been a sure thing as an actor. As a director, he's a solid two for two.
We are first told of the unique place held by Charlestown, Massachusetts -- otherwise known as the robbery capital of the United States. This one neighborhood outside Boston has produced more bank and armored car thieves than any other, and we are immediately introduced to four of them: Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan (Slaine), a getaway expert; Desmond Elden (Owen Burke), a specialist with alarms; James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), a ex-con bad-ass who loves his weaponry; and Doug MacRay (Affleck), former hockey prospect and now the thoughtful brains behind the outfit. Working for a local mobster named Fergus 'Fergie' Colm (Pete Postlethwaite), this gang is always one step ahead of the law.
Frantic FBI man Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) wants this to change immediately, and when the foursome take young bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage, he sees his in. Working with the frightened gal, he gets inside the Charlestown neighborhood, and soon starts making connections. In the meantime, James is concerned that Claire will be a problem, so Doug agrees to "take care" of it. Instead, he falls in love with the fragile beauty, seeing in her a life he's never had. Desperate to get out of the game, he agrees to one more massive heist, hoping it will let him pay off Fergie, sneak away, and forget his days as high tech street hoodlum forever.
Compelling, complex, and crackling with suspense, Affleck's sophomore effort is every bit as good as his first foray into feature filmmaking. Using Chuck Hogan's 2005 novel Prince of Thieves as a starting point and letting his narrative play out over a languid but legitimately intense two hour plus pace, The Town initially takes one by surprise. The crime element is handled with matter of fact fierceness, our band of gun-toting antiheroes able to outsmart almost everyone involved. As they quickly move from preplanned problem solving to animalistic violence, Affleck lets his confrontational approach and rapid fire editing style answer for any plot holes. In fact, it's hard to notice the missteps when the film keeps us grounded in the lives of these working class scrubs.
On the other side of the law, Mad Men's Hamm is just that -- a scenery chewing G-man who wants Doug and his buddies taken down, no matter how. His character gets lots of bravado-filled speeches and showdowns with his costars, but he never gets the upper hand. In fact, Affleck wants us to root for these hoodlums even as they are spraying the supposed good guys with magazine after magazine of bullets. There are three main action set-pieces here and each one is terrific. In particular, a car chase in between the back alleys of a downtown business district is edge of your seat sensational. From an acting standpoint, Affleck saves most of the moodier material for himself. Elsewhere, Renner delivers on his promise of ever-present fireplug ferocity while Gossip Girl's Blake Lively is a revelation as James's drugged out, deeply troubled sister.
While it may lack Gone Baby Gone's twisty, amoral bitterness, and ends on a note too bright for the rest of its desperate darkness, The Town is still a terrific film. Ben Affleck has never been a sure thing as an actor. As a director, he's a solid two for two.
