The Town is Ben Affleck's sophomore directing effort (Gone Baby Gone). It is a heist movie set in the rough streets of "Movie Boston" (I say "Movie Boston" because anybody who lives in Massachusetts knows that the Boston that is portrayed in Hollywood films is nothing like the Boston we know). The Town follows a series of very tough, violent movies that have been set in Boston in recent years including The Departed, The Boondock Saints, Mystic River, & Gone Baby Gone.
The Town stars Affleck (Good Will Hunting) as the unexpected hero, Doug MacRay; Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) as the victim/love interest, Claire Keesey; Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as FBI agent Frawley, Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) as James Couglin, and Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) as Krista Coughlin.
The Town begins with a harsh bank robbery in which heavily armed men wearing Skeletor masks and hoods hold up a bank that is run by Keesey. The events that happen throughout the film are extraordinary and at sometimes unbelievable, which is why half a star has been deducted.
The cast as a whole gave an excellent performance, the acting was great and the Boston accents weren't too dreadful. There is a lot of violence, some romance, a lot of language, and very brief nudity. The action throughout the movie is incredible and there is some comic relief that has been weaved into the story that will literally make you laugh out loud.
Ben Affleck is truly on his way to becoming a great director in the modern era. As an actor he has his limits (Although they are not apparent in The Town), but it seems that he has found his niche behind the scenes. He is a storyteller at heart, and a very good one at that. His directing style reminds me of Michael Mann's work which is a good name to be referenced with having only directed two movies so far.
If you go to the theater to see The Town you will not feel guilty about paying roughly $10. It is worthy of your money, there is a lot of entertainment value that it brings to the table, and it may find itself being nominated for a couple of awards this year.
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