Real Irish Action

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2011)

Ben Affleck directs ans stars in The Town, an involving, gripping tale of bank robbers in Charlestown, Massachusetts—a ghetto neighborhood outside of Boston. The film starts off with a written introduction, explaining that Charlestown has been home to more bank robbers than anywhere else in the United States. With a realistic and chilling first scene of robbing a bank, the film doesn't stop building itself up until the very end.
Ben Affleck plays a bank robber, and the leader of his particular gang. While robbing the bank in the beginning of the movie, they take the manager, a young lady, hostage and leaver her a few miles away. After one of the robbers realizes she lives right down the street from him, Affleck goes to intimidate her into keeping silent. However, when he talks to her, he finds himself falling in love. It sounds cliché—and it is—but this doesn't impede on the intense drama and action that Affleck has so wonderfully created.
The first robbery in the film has an extremely nightmarish feel to it. From the exaggerated angles to the Halloween masks the robbers wear, the scene oozes creepiness. The second robbery, which takes place about halfway through the film, has one of the most intense chase sequences ever to be put on the big screen. And the masterfully crafted climax keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. Affleck gets his suspenses just right: giving enough to induce stress, and supplying relief just at the right moment, unlike many action films that drag on far too long.
I have always admired Affleck as an actor. His portrayal of George Reeves in the under rated film Hollywoodland was one of the best of the decade. Now he is a sensitive man who lives in a harsh world. As his character gives a small glimpse into his childhood, there is a distinct melancholy that comes out in him, and lingers just under the surface for the whole film. The entire cast has a melancholy to them, highlighting the Irish roots of the town. It is a place of shattered dreams, ruined lives, and rag tag mobs. Jeremy Renner is wonderful as Affleck's best friend and fellow bank robber. He is a stereotypical low life: he drinks too much, he spends all of his money, and he is just a plain bad person. Yet, one cannot feel like Affleck's character and come to like the guy.
The love story remains predictable and rather boring until about halfway through the movie, and the side plot of Affleck's crack-whore ex girlfriend is a bit unnecessary, but they juxtapose the almost unpredictable and exciting outcomes of the final heist.
The film's tone helps tremendously in making it original and interesting, and Affleck's direction of the robbery scenes are the most suspenseful in years. With the blending of so many different ideas, and the originality of the film, it is near impossible to pin it down into any one genre, and it makes for great entertainment.
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