Review - The Town

A Town Like No Other

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) has a checkered past. As a resident of Charlestown he is in the area with the most bank and armored car robberies in the United States. In this Boston neighborhood, robberies are a way of life for many residents, handed down through generations.

MacRay is following in his dad’s (Chris Cooper) footsteps. He is leading his own crew to intricately timed and precision executed robberies. His best friend James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) stands by his side and has his back no matter the circumstance. When a job leaves some loose ends, Doug goes to solve the problem so Coughlin doesn’t endanger his own well being.

But things don’t always work out the way you might plan. FBI Agent Frawley (Jon Hamm) is on the gang’s trail, and will use all of his well placed sources to find them. Putting these bad guys away is his goal, and he will pull out all of the stops to succeed.

Will anyone survive this ride?

It has always been said; do what you know. There is no question Ben Affleck knows Boston and this film, along with Gone Baby Gone have proven that point. Affleck makes Boston an additional character in his film. It becomes a character with real faults and real problems. Affleck also knows how to surround himself with good actors and get every ounce of performance out of them.

Jeremy Renner has emerged as a solid working actor that you can count on to deliver. And deliver he does. He makes you love Coughlin gor his devotion to a friend, but makes you despise him for so many other reasons. And Jon Hamm emerges as a force to be reckoned with on the big screen as well as his current prowess on the small screen.

If not for a small clunky sequence for me, this would be a near perfect popular heist film. It’s got everything; action, romance, violence, nudity, innuendo, drugs and so much more. A throwback to films gone by, The Town is an impressive look inside a subculture in a classic American city. I’d love to be on the right side of this town.

B+

The Town
Warner Brothers Pictures

Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively

Rating: R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use.
Runtime: 125 minutes.