Too many car chases and shoot-outs

Rating: 6/10 (21 March 2011)

This movie about a group of four young bank robbers in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston (the town in question) has a lot of good things going for it, but ultimately it does not rise much above being just another heist movie. The leader of the pack is Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) who was essentially born into a life of crime. But when Doug shadows Claire, a potential witness to a robbery, he falls for her. The "love conquers all" theme then emerges as Doug can see his way to a better life with Claire.
The production values are high and the acting is more than good, with Rebecca Hall turning in a fine performance as Claire and Jeremy Renner playing a guy who is a walking danger zone. And there is a great cameo by Chris Cooper as Doug's father.
Given all the good things about this film it's too bad that they could not have been orchestrated into a more meaningful whole. I recognize the entertainment value of the movie, but the insane car chases and unbelievable shoot-outs torpedoed the affair for me--instead of heightening the tension, I found them distracting.
In these films where the robbers wear unusual masks and many other costumes, you might wonder if a couple of guys buying several ghoulish masks and some nun's habits might raise some red flags. And I should think that some banks might be interested in where Claire got that chunk of money to fund the ice rink for children.