A bank robber tries to change his ways and start anew.

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2011)

Overall The Town was an excellent movie. It was relatively fast paced (necessary for heist films) but still had a strong plot. The movie takes place in Charlestown, right outside of Boston, which is a place notorious for bank robbing. The main character Dough Macray (Ben Affleck) is a failed pro hockey player who returned home and entered the family business of bank robbing. During the first robbery they take the bank manager hostage with whom Doug later becomes romantically involved with. His relationship with Claire (Rebecca Hall), encourages him to leave Charlestown and change for the better. Unfortunately, the other characters do not take this very well; Especially James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), who is practically his brother. The rest of the movie deals with the difficulties and consequences of committing crimes and trying to escape from the criminal underworld of Charlestown.
The acting in this film is fairly strong because of its famous cast. Doug and Claire's relationship is somewhat strange. Whether this is due to Affleck and Hall's acting or it was intended the relationship was awkward. Affleck's acting is strong in the portrayal of a hardened criminal with a softer side. The fact that he directed the movie probably helped him because he was able to portray the character exactly the way that he wanted. Renner's acting as Doug's best friend Jim is excellent. His character is deranged and extremely violent and was able to play that role very well. His acting was arguably the best in the film. Jim's sister, Krista (Blake Lively), is Doug's trashy ex-girlfriend who claims that her child is his. This role for Lively is different from other role's that we've seen her play. Her character Krista and brother Jim create a good example of what Doug wants to leave behind. Finally, Jon Hamm played a determined FBI special agent named Adam Frawley. Although he is on the side of the law, the movie makes you dislike him for trying to make Doug pay for his actions. The Town is a must see for anyone who enjoys thrillers or organized crime movies.