Hats and masks off to Affleck.

Rating: Null/10 (8 July 2013)

A lifetime Charlestown, Boston crook falls in love with the bank teller of his last 'job' only to find himself forced to carry out one last heist to ensure her safety.
In the vein of Heat (1995), Ben Affleck directs and stars in this gritty, stripped back heist movie. Smartly limiting the gimmicky use of the Point Break (1991) robber mask idea The Town delivers a realistic yarn with its on location look.
The cast give good performances although it may have befitted from Affleck being totally behind the camera. The late great Pete Postlewaite briefly appears, Jeremy Renner is edgy as Coughlin and plays against typecast, while love interest Rebecca Hall gives a weighty performance both Blake Lively and Jon Hamm as Special Agent Adam Frawley are notable.
Thankfully this has very little Hollywood gloss and tries to avoid clichés wherever possible. It's more drama than action with some tension driven shootout scenes littered thought.
The Town may not define the genre, but certainly it proves that Affleck can direct and deliver a solid piece of entertainment. Surprisingly recommended.