Affleck's Hood
Ever since his mother walked out on him and his father was sent down Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) have been like brothers but that is the Charlestown way. The Charlestown way also sees them following in the line of many others as with their friends have become bank robbers. But when during a bank job they come across Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) things become complicated as she lives just four blocks away from them and despite the fact they wore masks could potentially blow things for them especially as Doug whilst keeping an eye on her ends up becoming romantically involved. Conflicted between his friends, the life he knows and the woman he has fallen for things become complicated for Doug especially with FBI S.A. Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) on their case.
Whilst sometimes Ben Affleck makes some dubious choices when it comes to the movies he makes you have to say when he is on top of his game he really delivers. That is certainly the case with "The Town" a movie which he had a hand in writing whilst he also directed and starred in because this movie delivers everything from drama to romance, thrills to action, big characters and little ones. Basically Ben Affleck has delivered the complete package which is up there with any of Scorsese's movies when he is on form the only difference is that Scorsese delivers a sense of grandeur Affleck has a straight hit approach.
As such "The Town" isn't a complicated movie and in truth is kind of familiar as we have Doug who is a bad guy having grown up in an area where loyalty is a huge deal. But after Doug meets Claire and falls for her he wants out, he is ready to turn his back on his life of crime for her. Of course it isn't that simple as there is the aspect of loyalty but also FBI agent Frawley who is on Doug and the other guy's cases which provides the movies major twists when he discovers that Doug and Claire are romantically involved. As I said the storyline is familiar but there is enough detail to make it engrossing but not so much it over complicates things.
But this story is filled out with great characters played by actors who don't feel like they are acting. The vibe between Affleck and Renner as they hang out feels like these guys are childhood buddies who have dodged the cops all their life whilst idolising the older guys they grew up around who were known bank robbers. And it is also filled with great action and a high speed chase scene through the narrow streets will have you hooked and this isn't the big action finale, this comes before the half way mark.
What this all boils down to is that "The Town" is a great movie, an engrossing drama with a mixture of everything going on which is up there with the movies of Scorsese.
