Undone by weak romance

Rating: 6/10 (19 December 2010)

This is one of the better heist films of recent years. The cast is strong and look of the film is gritty and realistic. The weakness is the romantic subplot between the team leader (Ben Affleck) and a hostage (Rebecca Hall). Their entire relationship was implausible and they shared little on screen chemistry. Since the "Townies" are depicted as working-class people sharing intense loyalties and clannish devotion to their Irish code of honor, I would have preferred to spend more time with Affleck and his team, particularly his loose cannon best friend, Jem(Jeremy Renner) and Jem's druggie sister. Their relationships and significant history (Jem's family cared for Affleck's character when he was young and he was romantically involved with Jem's sister) were more interesting to me than anything that occurred between Affleck and Hall. The heist build-up and action were terrific, but since so much emphasis is placed on the romantic storyline, the film isn't as good as it should be. A solid effort with a terrific cast.