"The Town" proves that Ben Affleck is not only a gifted actor, but also has a great eye for directing.

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2011)

In "The Town," Ben Affleck plays Doug, the brains behind an Irish mob that robs banks and plans heists all around the Boston area. After their last huge bank job, Doug learns from his colleague, James (James Coughlin), that the female bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall) from the bank lives a few blocks away from where the mob meets. This is when Doug decides to investigate Claire and see what she knows about him and the other members of his crew. Along the way, Doug falls in love with Claire as the FBI is slowly investigating him and his fellow mob members to see where they are going to strike next. It's only a matter of time before the FBI comes after Doug and it's now up to Doug to decide whether it's the mob life or love....
I have to admit when I first saw the trailers for "The Town" I wasn't really that impressed with it. Sure it looked like a solid action movie about bank-robbers but the trailers just seemed to give away too much. When "The Town" was actually released in theaters I didn't have a chance to see it because it was released during a time where for some reason, which I am not sure of, I didn't see any films. I did however, read the reviews for the film and they were nothing but extreme positives. I tried to see the film in theaters but like most things nowadays it didn't last more than a few weeks at the local theaters. I decided to buy the flick on Blu Ray and finally sat down last night to watch it...
There is so much good to say about "The Town" but it's hard to pick where to start. The easiest place to start is with Ben Affleck so I am going to start there. As many may know already, Affleck directed, co-wrote, and starred in this film. Unlike most people, I never really disliked Affleck even though earlier in his career, he had a few stinkers ("Gigli," "Daredevil," and "Jersey Girl" all come to mind) but I figured he just hasn't found the right fit yet. In "The Town" Ben Affleck shows off just how solid of an actor he can be with the right material. He plays the tough Irish mob leader to perfection. I am talking everything from the accent to the mannerisms; Affleck just nails it.
Along with the acting, his eye as a director is also rather solid. This is Affleck's second directorial endeavor and its surprisingly better than his first, which is saying a lot. "Gone Baby Gone" was well reviewed by critics and audience members alike and many were shocked to learn that Affleck directed that flick. "The Town" is rated even higher by both categories of people. Affleck knows his way behind the scenes capturing raw emotion, realistic and gritty violence, and truly showing his audience he knows how to make his cast act out their roles to near perfection. Affleck's dark and corrupt vision of Boston reminded me of something Martin Scorsese would have created. If Affleck keeps this up, you never know but he might just become the next Scorsese.
Besides Affleck providing a solid performance, there are several other names that deserve some recognition here. Rebecca Hall is absolutely terrific as the bank manager and Doug's love interest. It's was interesting to see a smaller name in such a big role but it worked to the films advantage. She seemed perfect to play an out of town girl, who gets involved with someone has sleazy and shady as Doug. Jon Hamm did a perfect job as the lead FBI agent. I haven't seen him in many other projects but his mannerisms fit my ideal image of a FBI agent. Jeremy Renner, who played James was just nuts! He played this whacked out character perfectly. The guy seemed to not care about anything and anyone but did it in such a believable fashion. He truly was a demented and troubled soul in the film and really acted his heart out to show that. The one person I do have to say didn't really wow me was Blake Lively. I will admit it was nice seeing her play a really dark and gritty role, which is out of her normal character but she wasn't convincing to me. I just had a hard time believing her as a trashy person. As a whore, I can see but the white trash thing didn't work for me. I am sure many would disagree but trashy I couldn't picture.
All in all, I really don't have anything bad to say about "The Town." It was a solid film all around. The pacing was perfect, the acting was solid, and the direction was superb. This movie may soon be placed in the same category where such movies like "Goodfellas," "Casino," and "Reservoir Dogs" now sit. It will not shock me if this film holds up over the years and becomes known as a cult classic. The film may be too violent or gritty for some but for those who like raw and gritty dramas will probably be adding "The Town" to their favorites list.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "The Town" is a solid 8 out of 10. A ton of kudos points are in order for Affleck and the entire cast of this film.