If there is anything to be said about The Town, is that Ben Affleck is back in the spotlight. More than a decade after winning a screenplay Oscar, alongside Matt Damon, for Good Will Hunting, and a successful directorial debut three years ago for Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has amazed us for a second time with his newfound talent for directing. Like the latter two films mentioned, The Town ventures back to the coarse city of Boston, and doesn't hold back in its depiction of the rough-and-tough of it's citizens' exteriors. Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan, the film delivers as equal parts crime-drama, action-thriller, and believe or not, love story.
The film tells the story of a group of professional bank robbers in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Being the hotspot for the most robberies in the country, these guys know their craft and how to work it. A team comprised of four friends, Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his crew decide to hold-up a bank and take its manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), as a hostage. After letting her go unharmed, they realize she lives a short walk from their home, and decide to have one of their own spy on her to see how much she knows about her ordeal and her kidnappers. Thinking he's best for the job, Doug fakes a chance encounter with Claire. A romantic relationship soon evolves, and Doug wants to exit the crime business. His best friend Jem (Jeremy Renner), catches wind of this, and soon starts to question Doug where his allegiance lies.
The cast is all-around superb. I'll get to Ben Affleck later on, seeing as there's more of him to praise. As far as the supporting players go, Renner is a true standout. After portraying a rowdy and reckless army sergeant in last year's The Hurt Locker, and now playing a Bostonian with a fighting-Irish mentality, it's safe to conclude that Renner knows how to play tough and does it well. Rebecca Hall might be one of today's best least-known actresses; but hopefully, this film will make her more recognizable. Her role as the central female character allows her to show her range of talent. The way she channels her emotions while dealing with the bank robbery and its after-effects helps us see all of her character's vulnerabilities. And Blake Lively, who plays Doug's ex-girlfriend Krista, adopts a thick Boston accent and a ragged look, and is enjoyable to watch in her few scenes. She makes a smooth transition from tv show Gossip Girl's world of petty drama to a world of crime.
The real person to commend is Ben Affleck. We all knew he was a decent actor and writer; but directing might be his next big talent. Affleck directing this film proves that Gone Baby Gone wasn't just a stroke of luck. He can clearly direct a film, and stages some heist scenes that get your blood pumping from the get-go. Each one seems to top the previous, from the bank raid in the film's opening, to an armored-truck robbery at the film's midpoint that takes us all over the streets of Boston, to an ultimate heist showdown at Fenway Park in the conclusion that pits these Boston thugs against a group of FBI agents led by Jon Hamm. It's a confrontation that brings out all barrels blazing.
Affleck adequately balances each story element used in the film. Never does the action become too overbearing, the drama doesn't go over-the-top, and the romance between Doug and Claire never becomes too sappy. If Gone Baby Gone made Ben Affleck relevant again, then The Town has completed his comeback in Hollywood. He has a big future in the film industry, and that future is bright.
Final grade: A-
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