Caste: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner
Director: Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck’s second directorial outing ‘The Town’, is a tense, thrilling crime drama set on the streets of Boston, a geography Affleck is only too familiar with.
Affleck himself stars as Doug, the leader of a four-member crew that specialises in bank robberies in which they wear elaborate costumed disguises.
During their latest heist, Doug’s impulsive partner and childhood best friend Jem (played by Jeremy Renner) takes the bank manager hostage, but later releases her. When the gang discovers that the manager Claire (played by Rebecca Hall) lives in their own blue-collar Charlestown neighborhood and may be able to identify them despite their masks, they panic.
Doug decides to keep an eye on her and ends up meeting her again. Romance blossoms, without her realising that Doug was involved in the heist. Jem is enraged that Doug is involved with Claire and balks when Doug says he’s thinking of going straight and starting afresh with his new love. He manages, however, to convince Doug to participate in one last job that their boss has marked out for them.
Despite the film’s familiar premise and conventional narrative, Affleck directs with flair and confidence, his skills shining through particularly in the action portions that have a kinetic, realistic quality.
Watch how he builds the tension in that harrowing car chase through the narrow streets of Boston or in that nail-biting getaway scene at Fenway Park.
It helps that Affleck knows these crime-ridden streets of working-class Boston so intimately, a fact that became clear from his excellent directorial debut, 2007’s ‘Gone Baby Gone’.
Shooting on location gives this film a lived-in feel and the ace performances from its cast are the icing on the cake. Rebecca Hall has a silent grace to her and John Hamm is in good form as the straight-arrow FBI agent working on the case.
Affleck himself makes a lasting impression in a quiet, strong role, playing that central conflicted character with remarkable subtlety. But it’s Jeremy Renner as his short-fused accomplice whose performance eclipses everyone else’s in this movie.
‘The Town’ is a competent film, betrayed by occasional script holes that stick out in an otherwise tight screenplay. That aside, it’s engaging from the moment in, and doesn’t let go of your attention till the lights come back on in the end.
I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five for Ben Affleck’s ‘The Town’. Don’t miss it if you’re a fan of tough, urban thrillers – this is as good as they come!
Rating: 3.5 / 5
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