The Town is the Charlestown area of Boston, Mass. Charlestown is the bank robbery capital of the world. Directed by Ben Affleck (yes, that Ben Affleck), The Town is his second full-length directorial attempt, and his movies are only getting better. Based on the book “Prince of Thieves: A Novel,” Affleck stars as career robber Doug MacRay, the leader of a robbery gang that includes best friend James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner, Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker), Slaine (Albert “Gloansy” Magloan, Gone Baby Gone) and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke). The gang pulls jobs for flower shop owner Fergus “Fergie” Colm (Pete Postlehwaite, Inception). The opening is the gang dressed in zombie-esque masks to knock over a bank. They make away with 90k, and take hostage Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall, Frost/Nixon), whom Doug subsequently starts a romantic relationship. The film follows that relationship, Doug’s previous relationship with James’ sister Krista Coughlin (Blake Lively, Gossip Girl), the last jobs Fergie’s gang pulls, Doug trying to break out of that life and FBI agent S.A. Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm, Mad Men) trying to catch them. The film ends with a massive shoot-out at Fenway Park, and a brief aftermath account.
Ben Affleck has only gotten better with age, and developing films seems to really have become his forte. Through his big-budget action films (Pearl Harbor) and bombs (lest we forget Gigli), intense, character-centered dramas are his strength (think Good Will Hunting). He doesn’t have a weakness in The Town; he co-wrote, directed and starred in it.
Jeremy Renner, Albert Magloan and Desmond Elden (his first film, yeah) are equally as strong as Affleck, though their roles combined are about as big as him, and Renner’s is much bigger than the other two actors. They’re all excellent as their separate character’s personalities show though the group dynamic.
Though she’s been acting for more than 15 years, many of those films critically-acclaimed, I’ve never noticed Rebecca Hall in a film; however, as Doug’s lover who suffers an unfortunate and manipulated heartbreak she shines within this boy-focused film.
Don Draper Jon Hamm is wonderful as a tough FBI agent whose current goal in life is capture (or kill) MacRay’s gang. I can’t say a lot about his character; he’s just excellent in this role.
For how much she campaigned for her role and how much she is promoting this film, I really expected Blake Lively to have a much more prominent role. If the Gossip Girl star is the main deterrent for why you’re not seeing this film, don’t let her. She breaks out of the Serena van der Woodsen, perfect-looking role. She plays a white-trash, single mother well. She has the acting chops and not a terrible Boston accent to boot. The role is well-cast, but a character actress with not such a perfect body might have done a better job.
No actor is a weak link in this film, and I couldn’t find one, though the last scene is a bit cliché and seen. If you haven’t seen a film this year, which is very unlikely, spend your money on this one.
