Anatomy of a bank robbery in the context of character relationships, Charlestown, and the inevitable love interest.

Rating: 5/10 (20 February 2011)

This movie was hyped quite a bit before I saw it. And a lot of it was deserved. However, I was somewhat disappointed. Despite the high action content, I found myself drowsy at times. Too much of the usual chaos of robberies gone awry in some way. I found myself confused about the relationships with the "bad guys" who forced Affleck's character to do another job. Perhaps that was because I had trouble staying awake...which I don't necessarily blame on the movie. The acting was good, and I did admire Affleck's understatedness. Rebecca Hall did a good job as the bank manager. In fact, the trailer led me to believe (and hope) that more of the story would involve those two characters and the relationship twists inherent in their story. I think that was my biggest disappointment. Too much of the inevitable shoot-'em-up, the predictable FBI involvement. Too many innocents killed without any real character remorse -- which I would have hoped for given the depth of the characters portrayed. This movie obviously succeeded without my approval. I just didn't think it deserved all the praise it garnered.