Ben Affleck has become the member of a new club. Along with other actors-turned-directors, such as Charlie Chaplin, Clint Eastwood, and George Clooney, Affleck has directed himself in a starring role. He plays bank robber Doug MacRay, a tough hood from the streets of Boston. After robbing a bank, he falls in love with Claire (Rebecca Hall), the bank’s manager, who was kidnapped and released during the robbery. This is all unbeknown to Claire, as Doug wore a mask during the hold up. As the FBI begins to close in on him and his cronies, Doug’s relationship with Clair starts to waver. Just one final job stands between Doug MacRay and liberty from the high-crime city of Boston. The only question is, will he survive it?
The Town‘s greatest asset is its acting. Ben Affleck rightfully cast himself in his own production, as he gives a great, heartfelt performance. Jeremy Renner, who impressed me quite a bit in 2009′s The Hurt Locker gives a very good supporting turn here. He plays Doug’s pal and right hand man, James Couglin, a very tough and violence-prone character, who nevertheless stays humanistic enough for the audience to invest in him. The rest of the supporting cast gives standard though adequate performances, so I have no complaints.
As a crime film, I was very pleased with this film’s action and heist sequences. The opening scene of the movie depicts a bank robbery, that comes close in quality to that of The Dark Knight‘s. One can see that the director was born to shoot crime movies, similar in vein to Michael Mann. With shootouts and high stakes chases through the streets of Boston, Affleck proves that he is not just a capable actor, but a proficient director, as well.
The film’s screenplay is a solid enough effort, but doesn’t really add anything new or original to the genre. At times, the movie meanders too much, causing an inconsistent flow in its pacing. If more time had been invested in the crime elements of the story, The Town would have been an epic, instead of an imbalance of drama and action. Under-ambition may be the filmmakers’ key flaw, as they could have produced something truly spectacular and phenomenal.
As a very solid crime/drama entry, this one hits the mark. While it never reaches its full potential, the film is extremely entertaining and very well acted. Additionally, the direction is top-notch, as can be seen by the heist and chase scenes. For what is only his second directorial effort, Ben Affleck has made something he can be proud of.
