Ben Affleck's directorial efforts pay off

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2016)

Ben Affleck makes his second directorial effort after his debut in 'Gone Baby Gone' in this modern crime-drama set in the Charleston neighborhoods of Boston. Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a long-time bank robber who leads a group of criminals including his half-brother Jem Couglin (played by Jeremy Renner), Albert Magloan (played by Slaine), and Desmond Elden (played by Owen Burke), in a bank heist where Doug crosses paths with the bank manager Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall) who witnesses the beating of her boss. Months later, their bank robbing spree comes to pause, and Doug comes face- to-face with Claire who doesn't recognize him from the robbery at a laundry shop. The two begin bonding eventually form a relationship, with Doug trying to keep his bank robbing spree a secret from Claire. The situation gets progressively dangerous when FBI agent Adam Frawley (played by Jon Hamm) and his crew set out in pursuit to take Doug and his crew down.
Ben Affleck has been one of the most talented actors of this genre, and this film shows he is only gifted in acting, but also in directing and writing. Opening with the four main characters armed, and dressed in black suits and ghoul masks busting through the bank and wielding their guns at the employees; this movie gives a fascinating and realistic depiction of the lives of bank robbing criminals, and the consequences that ensue. The story evenly balances a romantic subplot between Ben Affleck's character and Rebecca Hall's character, and the main character and his group running a life of vicious crime. The storyline is written very sharply and rarely suffers from inconsistencies. The romance between Affleck and Hall is handled very maturely by not poisoning the characters with overly sappy dialogue and instead, giving the characters a believable touch while connecting to the main story. As this is a crime-based flick, there are some scenes that get a bit violent and at times, quite brutal; though not as harsh as what you would see a Martin Scorsese film. However, they effectively show the brash nature of the characters.
Ben Affleck gives a really decent and grounded performance as the main character, though not as impressive as Jeremy Renner who delivers some outstanding acting as his half-brother. Although it wasn't quite expecting him to garner an Oscar nomination, I am being honest to say is quite impressive. Rebecca Hall also delivers a performance that deserves credibility. These actors are truly amazing and their characters feel so authentic thanks to their performance and Affleck's top notch screenplay.
The Town is not likely go down as a classic and doesn't level up to the critically acclaimed crime flicks like 'Goodfellas' or 'The Departed'. Nonetheless, it is a very entertaining and solid addition to the crime genre. Ben Affleck does a great job in terms of acting, directing, and writing.