A Reel Review: THE TOWN

Ben Affleck has taken the role of Hollywood-punching bag over the years, and rightfully so. His choices in movies and women have been the butt of late-night TV jokes, and he has often been overshadowed by his younger brother. Despite his problems, the man does know how to write and direct. His writing and directing credits include GONE BABY GONE and GOOD WILL HUNTING; two Oscar darlings now considered classics. With THE TOWN, Affleck goes back to his Boston roots to weave a gripping and interesting crime drama, not meant to compete with the likes of (fellow Boston-crime flick) THE DEPARTED, but to act as a clever companion piece.

Doug (Affleck), is the leader of a quartert of bank robbers, which includes loose-cannon and sans-ethics thug James (Jeremy Renner), in the Charlestown section of Boston. Doug begins a romance with Claire (Rebecca Hall), a bank manager who gets caught in the middle of one of their heists. Doug plays cat-and-mouse, keeping his budding romance away from his crew, all while dodging the FBI and coming to grips with his present situation and his past.

THE TOWN is Doug’s story, as he is the antihero looking to pull one last job before getting out of the game. It is his romance with Claire that plants the seeds of change, and it is a subplot that often gets overshadowed by the rest of the goings-on. Doug’s interactions with James, his crew, the FBI, and his incarcerated dad (Chris Cooper) wind up being far more interesting than Doug courting Claire. The love storyline often seems to drag things down a bit and be instrusive, and it’s not until the near-end that it begins to blend with everything else.

Engaging is the operative word in Affleck’s writing and directing. The dialogue is blue-collar, real-world speak that keeps the audience in familiar and believable territory. The heist scenes are the highlights of the film, wrought with nice tension and loud gunfire (as all gunfire should be). The creepy masks the robbers wear manage to serve a few purposes other than to conceal identities; a nice touch indeed.

Affleck’s acting ranges from great to OK. His Boston accent feels forced at many times. The show is stolen by Renner (what else is new, eh?); his portrayal of a sans-morals, shoot-first-and-don’t-ask-later Boston tough-guy seems to be a role he was born to play. Chris Cooper’s turn as Doug’s pop is pitch-perfect, albeit short and is nearly nothing more than a cameo.

The finale is a shoot-em-up heist at Fenway Park which paints everyone into a seemingly inescapable corner. Somehow, the characters get out and meet their rightful conclusions in ways that are almost a little too neat and tidy. Despite the flaws, THE TOWN is a neat little crime drama, complete with redemption and romance dressings. It is an authentic ride worth taking.

BOTTOME LINE: See it.