Truth is, I have never been a big Ben Affleck fan. Loved Good Will Hunting, but after that my "fan-hood" moved with Matt Damon. Subsequent Affleck movies were lame and his acting was even worse. He now seems to be finding his stride as a director, much like Eastwood's footsteps. (I must see Gone, Baby, Gone, I hear.) He returns to his hometown of Boston to write, direct, and star in The Town.
I liked it.
This movie's real main character is Charlestown, suburb of Boston, hence, the title. I've read that Affleck did volumes of research to accurately portray this blue-collar, street-wise, gritty, desperate sub-culture. I thought Affleck's acting was quite excellent. I am a huge fan of Jeremy Renner after seeing him in The Hurt Locker, and he delivers here. Affleck's love interest, Rebecca Hall, is certainly not glammed-up and their conclusion was an intelligent one. Jon Hamm is dominating in a supporting role (but then, I saw it on Jon Hamm Day.) Dialogue was tight, and at times amusing, and ya had to pay close attention through some thick Boston accented banter.
Special nod to Chris Cooper who was brilliant, as always, and may earn serious recognition for this supporting role of only one scene. I felt him in my gut.
Through bank robberies, shoot-outs, and lots of twists in the last 15 minutes, my attention never waned. Oh, and watching a multiple car chase in Boston's teeny, tiny, narrow streets makes The French Connection chase look like cake.
A tad formulaic ("This will be my last robbery...I'm gonna change...") in parts, this movie will not replace said French Connection or Bullet (another personal favorite of this writer's), but when it's still 111 freakin' degrees out in the middle of September, I enjoy an escapist summer-esque ride.
So, Mr. Affleck, I have new respect for you. As you continue to mature, ya could be another Clint Eastwood. We shall see.
I agree 100% with your observations, Valerie. I too have not been a great Ben Affleck fan. I actually liked him best in Reindeer Games with Charlize Theron. But he's developing as an actor.....and this caper is right on. Jeremy Renner stole the show at times, but this is to be expected....he's top notch. Yes indeed, the chase scene was amazing....took place in the North End, where streets are so narrow. Chris was good in his brief prison appearance...but to me not quite Oscar good. I found that the action never waned. As bank heist genres go, this was a goody. At times, the machine gun shootouts reminded me of Heat. Did you notice that with all the bullets flying, Ben never actually killed a cop? Good ploy to keep us on his side...yet, the main downfall was that it was tough to root for a bad guy. Rebecca Hall was excellent, as the vulnerable, naive girlfriend. As long as Ben does not pull another Gigli, he'll continue to rise as a star!
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