Mr. Affleck, Take a Bow.

Rating: 9/10 (19 September 2010)

It's been awhile since I've seen a good movie in theaters.
Yes, I did catch "Inception," but that movie was far too complex for my simple mind to retain.
And yes, I did see "Machete," but films imitating D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" aren't appealing to my senses.
"The Town" is far better than any movie I've seen in the last year. Not only are the action sequences breathtaking, but the story is well-scripted and powerful. The interactions between the story's main characters - Affleck, Reener and Hall - are beautifully rendered across a Bostonian landscape, and the casual pace of the story keeps one both interested and thoughtful. My friend was bored with the film's aforementioned pace, but I found it necessary in order to comprehend all of the character interactions. Indeed, the dialogue is what makes this film worthwhile; the script is what gives this film a lasting impact.
The movie starts out with four thieves robbing a bank in central Boston. After the robbery, one of the robbers - Coughlin (Reener) - decides to abduct a female bank manager - Claire (Hall) - as collateral (the alarm was tripped). After driving a few miles from the bank, the robbers release Hall, threatening her in the process (however, she is unharmed physically).
As a consequence of being abducted, Claire experiences residual effects. She becomes unstable, and simple activities become hard for her to complete. At this point, one of the bank-robbers - Macray (Affleck) - begins watching her, given that he wants to see if she knows anything that might implicate him and his buddies. However, as Macray is observing Claire, he notices the pain she's undergoing, and he starts to sympathize with her. What starts out as a simple reconnaissance mission turns into a full-blown relationship, with Macray eventually falling in love with the nervous, distraught Claire.
As the story progresses, Macray decides to quit being a bank-robber, opting instead to move from Boston with Claire and start a new life. However, there are people (i.e., a secondary party that's profiting from the robberies) who don't want Macray to leave, and they threaten to kill his girlfriend if he doesn't comply with their demands. What follows is an explosive conclusion which includes massive gunfights and clever twists, culminating in a finale that is well-worth the film's slow, casual pace.
What makes this movie brilliant is not the action sequences, though; it's the interactions between the main characters. For example, Macray and his psychotic accomplice, Coughlin, illustrate the brotherly bond between two friends who, though opposites in character, care for each other (note: it's similar to the friendship between Oskar Schindler and Amon Goethe in "Schindler's List"). The tension between these two characters is felt throughout the movie, and the dialogue between them is both powerful and provocative.
John Hamm - the actor playing the main antagonist - delivers both a magnificent and realistic performance as a law-enforcement officer who is determined to bring the guilty parties to justice. I believe a best-supporting actor Oscar is not a stretch by any means.
Ben Affleck also gives a great performance as a troubled bank-robber who is trying to leave his criminal profession.
In conclusion, Mr. Affleck delivers to the audience a powerful movie characterized by a captivating dialogue and realistic character interactions. Mr. Affleck, take a bow!