A tense, and gripping crime thriller from start to finish. Ben Affleck is no one hit wonder.

Rating: 9/10 (6 December 2010)

Recently I got a chance to see Ben Affleck's latest crime drama, The Town, based on the book "Prince of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan.
In the film, Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a man in league with a band of bank robbers recruited by a threatening flower shop owner, and crime boss. After a recent heist involving taking a bank manager (Played by Rebbecca Hall) hostage, and later releasing her, Doug begins to charm her, and the two seem to hit it off well. However, complications arise from not only Doug's closest friend, Jem (The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner), but he's also ceaselessly pursued by FBI agent Adam Frawley (Played by Jon Hamm), who will do any and all things possible to bring Doug to justice.
The movie is essentially two things: A) Proof that Affleck's directorial debut Gone Baby Gone was far from a fluke, and B) In my opinion, a better movie than Gone Baby Gone. His film is expertly structured, and set up, thanks to the efforts of he, and his co-writers Peter Craig, and Aaron Stockard. It can be a risky move to write, direct, and star in your own movie, but Affleck handles them all with adequate balance, and the result is a film that suffers from very few faults, most of which aren't even worth noting.
He really is making a comeback into the acting world, taking on a role perfect for him, and always taking it just as serious as is necessary, and shares great chemistry with Rebbecca Hall, who is also a great fit for her role. One of the more interesting mentions is Jeremy Renner, who leaves a lasting impression with his chilling, but quietly careful performance, and also worth mentioning is Jon Hamm, whose character is not quite afraid to embrace a subtle dark side of himself while trying to capture these criminals. Other fine examples of casting include small, but vital supporting roles by Pete Postlethwaite, and Chris Cooper.
It's expertly cast, and scripted, as well as handsomely crafted. The action scenes of the film are pretty nail-biting, fast paced, and well staged, specifically a very tense car chase through the narrow streets of Charlestown, complimented brilliantly by Robert Elswit's energetic cinematography, the highly involving sound mix by Gregg Landaker, Steve Maslow, and David J. Schwartz, as well as the brooding underscore by Harry Gregson-Williams and David Buckley.
It's a great film that's not only an engaging crime drama, but also a gripping action thriller.
And for that, The Town earns ***1/2 out of ****