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Visitors Review

glawlor 2012-05-21 11:02:27

A bank robber tries to change his ways and start anew.

Overall The Town was an excellent movie. It was relatively fast paced(necessary for heist films) but still had a strong plot. The movietakes place in Charlestown, right outside of Boston, which is a placenotorious for bank robbing. The main character Dough Macray (BenAffleck) is a failed pro hockey player who returned home and enteredthe family business of bank robbing. During the first robbery they takethe bank manager hostage with whom Doug later becomes romanticallyinvolved with. His relationship with Claire (Rebecca Hall), encourageshim to leave Charlestown and change for the better. Unfortunately, theother characters do not take this very well; Especially James Coughlin(Jeremy Renner), who is practically his brother. The rest of the moviedeals with the difficulties and consequences of committing crimes andtrying to escape from the criminal underworld of Charlestown.The acting in this film is fairly strong because of its famous cast.Doug and Claire's relationship is somewhat strange. Whether this is dueto Affleck and Hall's acting or it was intended the relationship wasawkward. Affleck's acting is strong in the portrayal of a hardenedcriminal with a softer side. The fact that he directed the movieprobably helped him because he was able to portray the characterexactly the way that he wanted. Renner's acting as Doug's best friendJim is excellent. His character is deranged and extremely violent andwas able to play that role very well. His acting was arguably the bestin the film. Jim's sister, Krista (Blake Lively), is Doug's trashyex-girlfriend who claims that her child is his. This role for Lively isdifferent from other role's that we've seen her play. Her characterKrista and brother Jim create a good example of what Doug wants toleave behind. Finally, Jon Hamm played a determined FBI special agentnamed Adam Frawley. Although he is on the side of the law, the moviemakes you dislike him for trying to make Doug pay for his actions. TheTown is a must see for anyone who enjoys thrillers or organized crimemovies.

2012-05-20 22:07:17

Perfect .

I dont want to spend to much of your time here , just go for it The Town is a perfect movie !

Movie_Muse_Reviews 2012-05-18 17:02:56

Affleck's second matches realism of the first and the fine ensemble carries the rest

Ben Affleck's second feature film as a director -- if nothing else --proves he's no fluke. In all the ways his sincere and revealing debut"Gone Baby Gone" succeeds, so does "The Town." Both are Boston-basedcrime dramas that are both touchingly dramatic at times yet gripping atothers. More impressive with his work on "The Town," however, is thatit proves he could just as easily go on to direct an action blockbusteras he could an Oscar-winning drama.It starts with the cast and the performances he gets from them. In2007, he helped Amy Ryan to a supporting actress nomination, and that'signoring the other talents in the film such as Casey Affleck, MichelleMonaghan and Ed Harris. In "The Town," he gets Oscar nominee JeremyRenner in his first major film since his breakout in "The Hurt Locker"and Jon Hamm in his first major film since TV's "Mad Men" took off. Healso gets a pair of up-and-comers in Rebecca Hall and "Gossip Girl"star Blake Lively. And that's not to mention Pete Postelthwaite andChris Cooper. Next to "Inception," it's the best ensemble cast of theyear.Based on the Chuck Hogan novel "Prince of Thieves," the film follows ateam of bank robbers from Charlestown, an area notorious for groomingthe best at intercepting armored cars and taking down banks. As with"Gone Baby Gone," also based on a novel (by Dennis Lehane), the city ofBoston and the people and culture are as important to Affleck as theplot. He's sure to let shots of the Charlestown bridge and Fenway Parksoak in amidst the ever-building pinch the main characters are in.Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his buddy Jim (Renner) and a couple otherspull off a bank job in the opening scene, but when it doesn't goexactly as planned, they're forced to kidnap the bank manager (Hall).To make sure she didn't see anything and can hand them on a platter tothe feds (led by Jon Hamm's Special Agent Frawley), Doug trails her,only to find himself falling for her."The Town" is one of those crime dramas/bank-job action films thatwhile not revelatory for the genre, executes everything well and sticksto a character-driven story in order to stay meaningful. Perhaps thereason it works so well is because it floats in between the drama,never becoming too much of a guns 'n robbers flick, but also notslipping into crime melodrama for too long. Affleck's performance asMacRay acts in accordance; it's tastefully understated and he lets goof the machismo that has marred a few of his previous roles.The film also has an unexpected but much appreciated sense of humor. Ina mile-a-minute crime drama/thriller, you don't expect to laugh the wayyou will in "The Town," which speaks even more to the writing andAffleck's versatility. Even if there are some plot conventions andno-surprise characters (as good as Hamm is, he's playing every otherquick-witted FBI guy in films), the dialogue is sharp, the story isexciting and the way we are so easily able to see things from MacRay'sperspective as the bank robber who wants out makes up for any use ofconvention as a crutch.There's no doubt that if "The Town" becomes a success that studios willseek out Affleck for some more high-profile projects and it willcertainly be interesting to see how he handles material not rooted inBoston sub-culture. As long as he continues to get such memorableperformances out of his actors, he'll be doing things on the other endof the camera for a long time to come.~Steven CVisit my site http://moviemusereviews.com

bkoganbing 2012-05-18 06:13:39

Robbing A Shrine

In The Town Ben Affleck got to do another big screen tribute to hishome town of Boston and even better got to shoot a good deal of thisfilm at his beloved Fenway Park. Directing, writing, and starring inThe Town who could ask for more except to shoot the film in places thatI'm sure meant a good deal to him personally.But The Town isn't some hazy nostalgic type movie, not by any means.It's a hard hitting crime drama about the lives of a heist crew andwhat it took for the FBI to bring them down.The Town is brutally realistic in its depiction of these robbers whogrew up in the tough neighborhood of Charlestown where people enter thetrade of thievery from generation to generation. Ben Affleck is such aperson whose father Chris Cooper is currently doing a life sentence fora robbery that was planned by neighborhood crime boss PetePostlethewaite from his florist shop. Pete's character must have beensteeped in crime lore and took as his model that other noted florist ofIrish descent who also ran a crime organization, Dion O'Bannion.At their latest robbery where the crew is completely masked, a hostagethey took and released after safely getting away was seen talking tothe FBI in the person of agent Jon Hamm who has made it his life'scrusade to take this bunch down. They took her driver's license andnote that Rebecca Hall is from The Town. Just to make sure she isn'ttelling anything that could lead to their arrest, Affleck arranges anaccidental meeting with Hall. Even though he's already involved withBlake Lively sister of friend Jeremy Renner and fellow crew member,Affleck and Hall start getting involved to the surprise of Affleck.The Town as elements of classic films like White Heat and The AsphaltJungle and what I like about it is like The Asphalt Jungle, directorAffleck got some well rounded, three dimensional portraits of hischaracters without sacrificing either suspense or action. Jeremy Rennerwho is up for Best Supporting Actor is great as the best friend andfellow crew member who is determined not to go back to prison for lifeas he's already a two time loser. Postlethwaite is as lethal as DionO'Bannion was and in his own scene with Affleck visiting him in prisonChris Cooper is unforgettable. Cooper is one of the best actors we havecurrently, I've never seen him bad in anything he does and The Town isno exception.The climax involved the gang pulling a heist on that noted Bostonshrine Fenway Park. That's almost sacrilege in Boston, but this is onenervy crew of professionals. And the FBI is not stupid either. Theclimax should satisfy any action fan.I really recommend seeing The Town which is a film that succeeds onnumerous levels and can be enjoyed by all kinds of film fans with allkinds of taste.

2012-05-17 00:42:06

split decision

This was a watchable, workmanlike movie. Some interesting acting & a few novel twists but the movie wants us to root for a guy who kills people quite easily & lies to their kidnap victim to make sure his buddy doesn;t need to kill her too -- & then.........falls in love with her?? What did he think was gonna happen?? I guess I'm an old fashioned girl but I'd like to root for somebody a little less violent no matter what his upbringing was like -- and after he tells his true love that he wants to change.....he actually kills even more people than he had before his revelation. Yikes. I gave it 3 stars because hey.........the guys are mostly good looking (and do bank robbers have the time to be so buff?!?!)the film moves at a good pace, and some of the acting is spot on.

2012-05-16 19:08:58

Excellent crime-action-drama film by Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck once again surprises as his career seems to be heading into Clint Eastwood territory. That is, act in a few good movies, including your own, but directing may be his real forte. This crime-action-drama is complete with some excellent acting especially Jeremy Renner of "Hurt Locker" fame. A big surprise for me was Blake Lively as well. Although I know who she is, I've never seen her act and she's very good here. This film has what you would want in a complete movie; an interesting premise and story (if nothing new) along with conflict, drama and a little sex. Even the car chases and shoot-outs are pretty well done, if unrealistic. The Blu ray transfer is well done complete with DTS-HD Master Audio.

kosmasp 2012-05-11 16:30:17

Crime in the City

The story as it is, did not offer me anything new. Nor was there anyvery clever writing, that I could spot. But it's still more than adecent effort by the makers. They chose the actors carefully and thelocation even more so. Sometimes the location can become a characteritself and that is the case here. Even while I haven't been theremyself, I can feel the weight of the town.Predictable it may be, not really having a big story or anything quitegreat to say either, this thriller will entertain you. If you let itthat is. The flaws are there and very apparent. But I didn't feel thatthey were as big, as to actually driving the entertainment value of themovie down. You might feel differently of course, but try to enjoy itif you can.

2012-05-11 03:36:53

Affleck's sophomore movie doesn't disappoint

This review is from: The Town (Amazon Instant Video) If you're looking for a solid robbery flick, look no further. While Affleck's first movie Gone Baby Gone carried far more emotional weight, The Town stands on its own as a fine addition to the cops and robbers genre.

doctorawesomepants 2012-05-05 20:37:56

Okay

The Town is an okay movie, not great and not bad. I give it an averagerating of 5 points out of 10 on the I.M.D.B. system of weights andbalances, ha ha.Director Ben Affleck does a decent job with the material. The story isvery gritty for him but it is also kind of predictable and trying tofollow the footsteps of movies such as The Departed. The acting isfairly ho-hum in quality and as I said it is a predictable story, it isgritty and supposedly "real" to some but I never really was convinced Iwas watching anything but a Hollywood movie. It never really drew me into the story.I'd say it's worth seeing but save your 10 quid and catch it on D.V.D.I saw it with friends and we had an O.K. time.... as I said it is O.K.

ssvfolder-1 2012-05-05 07:39:36

Good enough...but something is missing.

This movie is definitely not bad. One might say even good, yet therewere few things that were missing (or overdone in some way) thatprevented this movie to reach the "departed" movie status. It's a crimedrama. Story is simple yet it works every time. There is a lot ofshooting, personal drama, love feelings and even a bit of sports. Ingeneral this is what every movie needs to be good. Now for the thingsthat were missing or overdone. Ben Affleck. There were way too much ofBen Affleck on screen. Frankly despite the fact he's not bad at all,but he's not a grade A movie star who can carry a movie to the top. Ifound his overacted monologues a bit irritating. Story is a bit toosimple - Obvious secondary ("bad") character death at the end, and ashot of redemption for the main one. It felt as this movie is too"politically-movie" correct, as all the ingredients are there, but theyare not cooked properly. This one is worth to watch never the less.

2012-05-05 10:55:45

NOT UP TO THE HYPE BEN!

Saw over X-Mas on DVD. Couldn't believe it wasn't as good as I had heard. A bank robbing movie that has more Drama than bank robbing is almost doomed to fail, unless it's in the hands of a great Director. Sorry Ben, not there yet. Gone Baby Gone was a great ride, but I believe that had more to do with acting and WHO wrote it than Ben. The Town is worth a watch, but ask anyone what they liked about it and you'll get the, "not sure" answer a lot. Not a good sign about a film when you can't remember what you liked about it, especially when you just finished it. That 1st act is really long winded and boring Ben! In Ben I trust, maybe next time, or not?

2012-05-04 14:40:01

Gripping without being too violent

I like a good thriller, but sometimes I find there is a bit too much gratuitous violence for my taste or that the plot is thin. Thankfully for me and this film, neither is true. I found there was just enough violence to make a point and to further the story, but not so much that it got in the way of the movie. I also found the plot very compelling. The romantic subplot to me, balanced things out and added complexity to the relationships and allowed us to see depth in Ben Affleck's character. It makes him come across as real, as a guy whose life has been to many degrees, highly influenced by his rough home life and lack of positive influences. He comes across as a guy who knows that what he is doing is wrong and who very much seemed to want to get out and have something more noble to show for himself, but who keeps getting dragged back in.As a former Charlestown resident, I also really enjoyed the shots of Boston, Charlestown, and Cambridge in the movie. A lot of times when I see movies set in Boston it's been clear that they do a few money shots in the city to give a sense of place, but that the bulk of shooting is done elsewhere. This isn't the case of this movie, they show a lot of shots of the city, and to me, it really helped to give the movie a sense of place and authenticity. I really appreciated seeing the shots of Charlestown.Overall, whether I lived there or not, I found this a fantastic movie.

cesarbau 2012-05-03 07:27:01

A subtle homage to "Casablanca," with a twist

In this thriller, Doug MacRay of Charlestown, a blue-collar enclave inBoston notorious for producing more bank robbers than any other town inthe U.S., knows precisely what the law says. The sentences forthreatening a state witness, and for bank robbery resulting in murder,he knows them all by heart. He should: his own father had committedsuch crimes and is serving five life terms. Doug (Ben Affleck) is the planning genius and leader of a band for fourrobbers working for a syndicate boss who runs a flower shop for cover.Doug confesses to his new girlfriend Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) thathe has never killed anyone. His latest dossier consists of two bankheists, and a raid on the sanctuary of "the cathedral of Boston" -- themoney vault of the Red Sox's Fenway Park – that resulted in the fatalface-smashing of a bank officer, the death of a security guard and theserious wounding of another. To get an idea of what possible jail term he faces in case ofconviction, I asked lawyer John Kriss of Kansas. He categorizes Doug'scrime as a felony murder. His committing a felony (theft) "was directlyresponsible for the murder and injury." Since Massachusetts's law doesnot sanction the death penalty, "Doug could be on the hook for two lifesentences plus others for the battery, for the robbery and all," saysKriss. Consequences. "The Town" is about the consequences of crime and whathappens when love enters the picture. Doug's romantic fling defiesIrish "omerta," the Mafia code of silence, putting him and his men introuble as the feds, led by FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), closein. Affleck directs with great intelligence and tackles the role of acriminal on the verge of conversion with muted passion. He manages tobe convincing in a tricky monologue where he describes to Claire thatday when his mother disappeared forever. His spiel sounds genteel, notthe expected working-class chatter, a far cry from his altercation withhis second-in-command and adopted brother Jem (Jeremy Renner), wherethey fire a barrage of four-letter words. There is scarcely a moment when "The Town" does not throb with action,crackles with crisp dialogue or simmer with conflict. The bank heistsand the car chase through the narrow streets of old Boston are shrewdlypaced, the goons and police dueling intensely, the sound suddenlyturning mute and the action frozen, only to ricochet to their bitterend. Claire, taken hostage in the opening heist, is pivotal since hertraumatic experience stokes Doug's feelings, and the interest of FBIagents too. The heavy burden to be likable and believable falls onHall's lap. She excels in the first task and falters in the other, andshe's not to blame. It doesn't help that there is a fuzzy edge to hercharacter as scripted. She plays Claire with a passivity andresignation that's out of sync with her job description as bankmanager, as though she had climbed the corporate ladder without somefeistiness.Hall's wardrobe, dark and nondescript, does not serve her well either,oblivious to her being the neighborhood "toonie," the yuppie outsider.For the heists, the costume department had found the right Jasonhelmets and get-up of Mother Superiors from hell, so why didn't theyshop for the smart, say, Gap or Guess casuals for her? The cut-to-cutclose-ups that are Affleck's preferred vehicle for dialogue – oh, thosetalking heads -- also work against her at times as her unease infinding the right tone and emotion is betrayed on the screen. But thismuch must be said: Hall is electrifying and heartbreaking when sheneeds to be.Renner's gives Jem's character perfect shading, menacing at times andsometimes explosive. Jem is the loose-cannon type who's quick to smasha face with a rifle butt in a moment of panic or, stupidly, to bare hismasked face during a brutal beating of a Charlestown bully. The zealthat FBI investigator Frawley brings to his job is frightening, butbrusque and suave Hamm is more than equal to the task, badgering,cajoling and intimidating potential witnesses to spill the goods on thesuspects. His interviews with Claire, Doug and Jem's sister Krista arefree lessons in A Dozen Ways to Manipulate People. As the mob grandfather Fergie the florist, Pete Postlethwaite has thesharpest lines, pornographic in their cruelty, which he delivers withthe lilt and rhythm of Irish poetry. Blake Lively plays soaked-in-dopeKrista, who is also Doug's part-time lover, slutting, slurring andwhimpering her way through the narcotic haze, and revealing herself inthe clearest terms as an actress to watch. So finally, "The Town" boils down to consequences. They come fast andfurious, and blood flows. For the final scenes, Affleck finds in theending of the classic film "Casablanca" a paradigm, or at the veryleast an inspiration. "The Town" is of course cut from an entirelydifferent mold, from the premise to the atmosphere -- although Afflecktends to bathe Boston in blue and dark tones, recalling "Casablanca's"shadows and grays. And while "Casablanca" is a psychologically complexfilm that has kept cinema lovers busy dissecting it for decades, "TheTown" is more gritty and clear-cut; there are no mystifying issuesabout it. But the choices the characters of either film face toward the end domirror each other and are equally touching: which is it, love orsociety? A crucial decision taken in "The Town" manages to leave abittersweet taste that comes close to "Casablanca's." This is more thana nod to the classic; it's a subtle homage with a twist. And what aboutthe consequences of the thugs' crimes against the people of Boston?Well, truth be told, on a day like many summer days in Charlestown,they don't really matter.

Graham Abraham 2012-05-02 09:07:32

Hold On to Your Wallet, Because This Boston Bank's Being Robbed!

We have a bunch of movies from the year 2010 which we love: Toy Story3, Inception, Machete, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and others. Now BenAffleck shows a mixture of action, thrill, terrorism and horror in hisnew film "The Town". This is a bloody, bullet riddled tour of crime,murder and bank robberies in Cambridge and Boston. What do we have in the start of the film? Oh it's a nice day in HarvardSquare in Cambridge. Citizens and Harvard University students are goingabout their business in this bustling and architecturally beautifulpart of Massachusetts Avenue. And what is going on at Cambridge SavingsBank? Oh my god! There are some scary bank robbers with skull masksholding employees hostage with machine guns! Absolute terror andprofanity is occurring here in the bank's lobby! And the poor manager,Mrs Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) is forced to open the vault for thesecriminals! Millions of dollars are lost from the bank! And theringleader of these monstrous hoodlums in scary masks is a man namedDoug MacRay (Ben Affleck). Now in Charlestown, Claire is sobbing from the resulting stress andfright of the robbery. And Doug, who is watching her with his gang,starts to put the romantic moves on her. Doug cheers her up, buys herdrinks, and now the terrorizing robber and Claire are in love. Ofcourse the tides that are going against this relationship are the nastyviolent attitudes of Doug's gang, the FBI's investigation andinvolvement with Claire, and the Boston and Massachusetts State Policeswhich are desperate to bring down these horrid and evil stealing goonsin the city of Boston. The actions of all these main characters, including a smart and wittyFBI agent named Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), deem the fate and future ofthe innocent people and bank users of the Boston area. I love thismovie, because of the adrenaline and fear of being inside a bank thatis having a robbery. We have a love affair between Doug and Claire.There are also those deafening gunfire battles and a car chase in thosesmall streets of Boston. Police sirens and intense adventurous actionset in Boston is what I call a terrifying yet highly interesting andexciting movie. I give Ben Affleck's work as a director/star a ratingof 10 stars out of 10. I can't wait to see Ben's next movie set inBoston, MA.

jpschapira 2012-05-02 00:34:59

Affleck's movie directing growth

Ben Affleck's second film is one of the best movies of the year. I'lltry to tell you why. First off, it's better than its predecessor "GoneBaby Gone". I find impressive that Affleck decided step it up in almostevery aspect: "The Town" runs longer, cuts deeper, increases in actionscenes and in character development. We remember more characters andthe romantic relationship at the center of the film is given more timeand because the script is morally consistent, "The Town" is one of thefew crime movies in which we care more about the criminal's life thanthe success of the robbery of a bank or a truck. Dramatically, it'sirresistible. Talking about increasing risks. After years of trying to build a betterreputation as an actor by participating in films that wouldn't stainhis image, and after directing a film that gained him respect even whenhis acting skills weren't as recognized still, Ben Affleck decides tobe himself the star of the show. He plays Doug MacRay, an expert robberthat works with a very skilled gang in Charlestown: instructed by TheFlorist (Pete Postlethwaite), they tackle the best jobs in town and,because something always goes wrong, in the middle of a bank robbery,they take the manager, Claire, (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage. They dropher in some beach and start watching her to make sure she doesn't sayanything to the police. Because she knows, we know. Doug starts seeingher and later on Claire recalls the robbers told her to walk until shefelt the water: "It was the longest walk of my life; I thought I'd fallfrom a cliff". Doug starts dating Claire because his impulses tell him so. He can'tfight it. Women in both of Affleck's films tend to present this qualitythat goes beyond beauty: either they are independent and kind, womenyou want to fly to heaven with; or self-destructive and troubling,women you inevitably want to save. The common factor is that they areboth very vulnerable. Both women co-exist in Doug's life, and we cansee that he's trapped; he wants to do something. But at the same time,"The Town" is about the things we can't help. I mean, of course, thethings we shouldn't really do when we think about them.Name a character and I'll point out a weakness. The script of thefillm, based again on a novel and written by Affleck and Aaron Stockardalongside Peter Craig, provides characters with huge moral dilemmas. In"Gone Baby Gone", this aspect made its crowning way towards a climaticending, and it worked. Here it's all over the place, because everydecision is apparently life-changing, because every conversation holdsa secret. Because the past, never absolutely revealed yet alwayspresent, is devastating. Writing always from the heart but this time without the intention ofgenerating impact, Affleck might have achieved his best screenplay. Thegenre conventions we find in the story are the ones that make the movie'activate' (to just say something), but a whole different thing makesthe movie breathe. The way Affleck has of capturing, again, a specificplace and making it his own. He masters a special mood (thank you forthat score again Harry Gregson- Williams), he dominates the codes, hedrives the streets and he walks the roofs in order to leave no doubtthat he knows, again, what he's talking about. The characters, and their involvement in a story that we need to seetold show the growth and the natural flowing of a director who's asgenerous as every great actor/writer/director that, from time to time,decides to be the hero. That generosity is expressed in a way that wecan realize he's the main star but everyone who stands by him isperfectly chosen to shine and still not surpass him. That's why JeremyRenner turns in a stupendous performance as Doug's best friend, a finestep to follow his Oscar nomination; that's why Affleck gives BlakeLively of "Gossip Girl" the –up to now- part of her life; that's whyJohn Hamm feels at times underused and a bit caricaturized as a federalagent; and that's also why major names like Postlethwaite and ChrisCooper have only a couple of scenes.I believe these are the right calls, by a director so confident that inthe end truly becomes the brightest (in intelligence and in light)star. I honestly think Affleck's performance is the winning one: Ibelieve in everything Doug says and does and I root for him all theway. I found myself touched by "The Town", a film not intentionallymade for that effect, but with all the elements in place to end upcausing it. If you don't agree with all this none sense, it's only fairto say the film is a part action, part crime, romantic and dramaticfeature with family/friendship subplots…Straightly told, visuallyappealing, Hollywood-ish if you prefer. That should also be enough ifyou want to make one of the year's best films.

tavm 2012-05-01 04:52:56

Ben Affleck's The Town was a very compelling action drama

Well, this is the first time I've seen a movie directed by Ben Affleck,as opposed to both starring and co-writing as well, and I must say thatI was very impressed with what I saw! He plays the lead character, aheist thief from the Charlestown suburb of Boston, with compellingempathy that one hopes he doesn't step too much over the line when hedoes the things he does here. I mean, yes, he steals and shoots anddoesn't always make the right decisions but he also has a reasonablebackground that explains his plight. And he's picked the right cast inpeople like Rebacca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, PetePostlethwaite, and Chris Cooper among others in bringing this actiondrama to the screen. I don't think I've seen any flaws, story-wise,while watching but maybe that's because I was just very absorbed onjust how things seemed really connected that the whole thing just tookme away. So on that note, The Town comes highly recommended.

7thour 2012-05-01 17:21:56

Welcome Back, Mr. Affleck

It's no surprise to anyone that Ben Affleck has been off the map forquite some time, despite minor roles in other movies lately. Could itbe that putting on that different hat, the director/actor one, was thechange this guy needed? As a director he made his point with 'Gone BabyGone', but now I must say he deserves a standing ovation for 'TheTown'. Who knew, right? I mean, the guy was puked and mocked in tabloids, andI won't mention what me & my fellow comic-fans thought about hisDaredevil stint. Honestly, I don't give a rat's behind who he dates.Let me judge his acting instead. Well, add directing now, too.This movie simply blew me away. As a director, Affleck took me toCharlestown, where you can almost taste the downwards spiral of messthe characters find themselves in. A raw picture, raw characters, and araw story. As an actor, Affleck and his co-actors convinced from thestart, you just want the 'bad guy' to succeed. And those accents! Itgave that little bit extra, without overdoing it. At times you wouldalmost think of the plot twist possible with Jon Hamm. Luckily thisisn't the last movie that will feature Pete Postlethwaite, but he didone heckuva job as usual. Jeremy Renner portrayed that zealot the storyasked for. I was surprised to see 'Gossip Girl' Blake Lively in themovie, as well. To me, she was bit of the weak link in the ensemble. Ifelt she did a good job, but didn't convince me as much as the restdid. Almost as if she tried to hard. Rebecca Hall however was apositive surprise. After in my opinion, forgettable roles in majorproductions, she gave us a character to remember. All and all, Affleck made the movie into one of my favorites. Good job.. Welcome back.

David Ferguson 2012-04-30 22:49:24

Monster of Green

Greetings again from the darkness. Ben Affleck proved himself to be atalented director with "Gone Baby Gone". Here, he once again shows heis best suited behind the camera. He has a real feel for setting,scenery, actors and camera angles. Unfortunately, this story based onthe Chuck Hogan novel "Prince of Thieves" is just a bit too formulaicto stand out from the crowd.We are told upfront that the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown hasmore bank robbers than any other ... in fact, in some families it is aproud tradition, passed on to the next generation. Ben Affleck got theguide book from his dad - an incarcerated Chris Cooper who has only onescene, though it's very dramatic. Affleck's lifelong pal and crimepartner is played by Jeremy Renner. Renner's character, Jem, isdownright psychotic to Affleck's Mr. Sensitive. If after "Hurt Locker"you have a difficult time imagining Renner as a bad guy, you shouldcheck out "North Country". That's a very bad man.As seen in the preview, Affleck's merry band of bank robbers take ahostage played by Rebecca Hall ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"). Affleck,in the course of duty, falls for Hall. She is the light that shows himthe way to a better life. Unfortunately, that story line leads us rightback to more crime ... with FBI mad man Jon Hamm hot on the heals ofthe local bad boys.The neighborhood crime lord, played superbly by Pete Postlethwaite,controls the every move of the gang and takes his "fair" share whileleading through intimidation - all while trimming roses! Renner'ssister and Affleck's previous squeeze is played alarmingly (andsurprisingly) well by Blake Lively. She appears to have a nice littlecareer ahead of her.The frustrating thing with this film is that we have seen it allbefore, just without the heavy bean-town accents. Tons of automaticweaponry lead to very few actual injuries or deaths - always the signof a cheesy shootout. The finale for Renner, Hall and Affleck are alladvertised well in advance of the actual occurrence, which pretty muchends the suspense. On the bright side, the film is well made andentertaining enough. For a much better film on the culture oflocal/family crime check out "Animal Kingdom".

primo-st 2012-04-30 00:18:54

This is one Town you don't want to go to.

Throw in a high budget, a charming badass, an attractive girlfriend,and what do you have? A Generic Hollywood blockbuster.Before I even get started on the script I would like to comment on theacting. Ben Affleck is completely unbelievable as a badguy. He is toomiddle class to act tough, incredible charming and thoughtful, to thepoint that you think the movie is a romance. He falls in love at firstsight and sacrifices everything for this girl who he has 'traumatized'meanwhile he is more than happy to spray his submachine gun all overthe town. Oh and did I mention he had childhood problems? Did I haveto? The movie is so incredibly cliché that you just want to laugh outloud. Rebecca Hall played her part well, is it really that hard tostand around looking pretty and feeling vulnerable. Blake Lively was adisgrace. Despite having absolutely no character depth (admittedly nother fault) her accent was abysmal to the point of being unaudible formost of the movie. She needs to stick to Gossip Girl, where the role isincredibly easy and her looks get her through the episodes due theabundance of gawking twelve-year-olds.Jon Hamm star of Madmen is yetanother completely miscast character. While I am usually impressed byhis acting, he did not pull off even slightly the badass detectiverole.Basically this movie was based on the premise that if enough goodlooking people were thrown in it would make a lot of money. Theperformances however were not all bad, Jeremy Renner was powerful, andonce again I was impressed by his ability, which was of course provedin 'The Hurt Locker'The script was weak and predictable, most characters had no depth (forexample the other two crew members of the supposedly four man team) andfrankly just boring save one or two good lines. I wont go deep into the plot holes because im sure someone will havecovered that elsewhere, but I will note briefly that there are many ofthem. I don't usually take such negative stances on movies but I feltthat this movie is completely undeserving of its rating.

eneyeseekaywhy 2012-04-29 13:55:33

Affleck belongs BEHIND the camera

Ben Afflecks decade long fall from grace was almost a thing of beauty.In 1997 having written and starred in the smash hit Good Will HuntingAffleck, along with co-writer and co-star Matt Damon, was seen as oneof Hollywoods great new hopes. But the curse of having "next big thing"preface his name in almost every interview for a year struck Affleckpretty badly. Matt Damon chose some great roles to further his careerand has given us some excellent performances. If you don't agree withme, watch the criminally overlooked The Informant!, Damon's portrayalof idiot Mark Whitacre is on a par with William H. Macy in Fargo.Ben, on the other hand, went on to act in some truly awful films,hitting his lowest point in what is arguably one of the worst films ofthis decade, Gigli. At that stage it seemed all the votes were in andcounted; Ben Affleck just could not act. A somewhat solid performancein Hollywoodland did little to change peoples minds about his actingability. Then in 2007 he stepped behind the camera for Gone Baby Gone,and his younger brother Casey showed us who had the real acting skillsin the Affleck household. However it was the surprisingly gooddirection of Gone Baby Gone which caught a lot of peoples attention.Surely the man who played a plank in Pearl Harbour could not be such acompetent Director?The Town, like Affleck's directorial debut, is an adaptation of anovel. The story centres around Afflecks character Doug MacRay and hiscriminal friends living in the blue-collar neighbourhood ofCharlestown, Boston. Together they form a team of bank robbers with a100% success rate so far. MacRay knows that his luck may not last sodecides to do one last big take before leaving Boston forever. Hisfriends and family seem to take this as an insult and do everything intheir power to make him stay. During his next heist he takes bankmanager Claire hostage but eventually allows her to go free unharmed. Achance meeting in a launderette re-introduces the two, althoughobviously she doesn't recognise him. The two begin a relationship andagainst his better judgement he begins to fall for her. In the meantimehis friends and family begin to resent the new MacRay and plot to bringthe criminal out in him again.Comparisons to The Departed are plenty and justified. The three bankheist scenes also echo the gripping action of Michael Mann's Heat.Whilst the one-last-job storyline is somewhat hackneyed, it is thedirection and acting which make The Town a must watch. Like TheDeparted the cating of the supporting roles is close to perfect. JeremyRenner does a fantastic job playing MacRay's unhinged best friend,James. However the character is a little close to William James in TheHurt Locker and once again shows that Renner needs a more challengingrole to really show us what he is capable of. Pete Postlethwaite andChris Cooper, as expected, give stellar performances and, in the scenesthey have with Affleck, expose just how little on-screen presence theman really has. Whilst The Town will hardly make us reassess ouropinion of Ben Affleck's acting abilities, it does show us that when hesteps behind the camera, he's a man to watch.