The Town (2010)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Better Late Then Never

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This movie is so painfully middle of the road it's frustrating. There is absolutely nothing unique or original about this movie. You certainly cannot call it bad by any stretch but my word, what a meandering, predictable, and hollow movie.

Riding on the momentum provided by its consistent dose of intensely gripping action, The Town is a tense, thrilling & entertaining crime thriller that, despite leaving none of the genre clichés on the sidelines, succeeds in keeping a firm grip on the viewers' attention and is more engaging than one expects.Set in Charlestown, a breeding ground for armed robbers, the story of The Town follows a gang of four lifelong friends who, after a series of successful bank robberies and close encounters with the police, set out to finish one final heist. But monitoring them closely is an FBI agent who's all set to bring them down.Co-written, directed by & starring Ben Affleck, The Town serves as another vehicle for the actor to showcase his filmmaking talents and there's plenty in the picture that attest to his eye for creating kinetically charged sequences that brim with excitement & tension. Affleck's direction is quite lean during moments of action but not so in the dramatic portions.While Michael Mann's Heat is an obvious inspiration, the overcast ambiance & setting is lifted from other notable crime thrillers. The story is riveting when it's dealing with the group's interactions or next assignments but loses interest whenever it attempts to focus on their separate lives. There's a lot that it could've done without, for those scenes only end up hampering its overall effectiveness.Coming to the performances, The Town packs a talented ensemble in Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Blake Lively & Pete Postlethwaite, with Renner leaving the most lasting impression of them all with a strong, stellar input. Affleck plays his part responsibly, Hall does well with what she's given, Hamm is just as good while Postlethwaite greatly impresses in his brief part.On an overall scale, The Town is thoroughly captivating, is expertly directed & benefits a lot from Jeremy Renner's show-stealing performance but it could've been much more if its drama was half as compelling as its masterly choreographed action segments. Nevertheless, Affleck's sophomore directorial effort further sharpens his filmmaking skills, has got more positives than negatives, and is going to satisfy most viewers, if not all. Definitely worth a watch.

You can't fault a movie made by Ben Affleck. He makes good movies every time. He never drops his guard, you could say. This second outing, that should of had a better title, becomes an engaging watch, like his other films, the second half more exciting. Set in Charleston, where the movie Slapshot was set, he heads a band of top line thieves, who've got their s..t together, the way they immaculately work, when taking down this bank, is professionalism at a frightening level. Only they make one mistake, they take a female employee hostage, for some reason, none other than Affleck getting a hard on (again, don't let your d..k run your life). He strikes up a romance with her, while initially tailing her, and sussing her out, as if getting confirmation, that she doesn't recognize his voice. Hey it's a small town and the town di.ks led by a real d..k (a riveting Hamm), who we want Affleck to beat, are quickly on to them, as the robber's locale is within four blocks of the victim's place. Affleck becomes quickly swayed from getting out of this business, and leaving his ex, (a fantastic Blake Lively) the town pump you could say and kid, and taking off with his new found love. The acting really impressed and surprised me, with this movie. Renner, Cooper, and Pete Postlewaite, a really nasty piece of work, who've owned Affleck and his family, he was the icing on the cake. The shootout, heading towards it's climactic end, where Aflleck has cornered into doing another job was beautiful, and so was his fate. Even the masks and hold up garb is impressive- scary nun wear. Like Clooney, Affleck acts better in films he directs, and I have not yet seen The Accountant. In no way, is he the best actor here, him, falling somewhere near the middle amidst this high calibre pool of actors. I'm so glad I caught, this movie. It is kind of overlong, but I really don't see that as a qualm, with a film like this, boosted by engaging performances and a quite simplistic though well worked story. If only for a better title, which a movie as good as this much better title rethink. Five days past, and I'm still thinking about this film. Good stuff Ben.

I absolutely dig it, when the leading lady turns rogue, especially when the antihero makes the audience switch with her.I'm no expert on how an Irish American ought to sound, but, even though Affleck was charming and cool in his role as Doug, the accent felt very iffy. Renner was much better, and his performance was quite enjoyable to watch.The story was straight forward, and Affleck did a great job at keeping the viewers interest at the necessary level to luxuriate in 150 minutes of blossoming love, painful pasts, tough realities, betrayal and of course, loss.Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively. Beauty, talent, admirable, like- ability and attractiveness all rolled up in... two. It must be Rebecca's British allure and Blake's breathtaking smile, but these ladies get the job done every time it would seem.The Town is a simple story, that was told very well and portrayed quite eloquently by a capable cast. 7.2/10.