• Share
• Print
• Email
• RSS Feed

tag cloud

Plot Summary: Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang's latest job, when they briefly took a hostage--bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). Though they let her go unharmed, Claire is nervously aware that the robbers know her name and where she lives. But she lets her guard down when she meets an unassuming and rather charming man named Doug, not realizing that he is the same man who only days earlier had terrorized her. The instant attraction between them gradually turns into a passionate romance that threatens to take them both down a dangerous, and potentially deadly, path.

It has been a while since I watched a well-balanced action-packed thriller that isn’t drowning in special effects and green screens. Ben Affleck’s The Town is quite simply, a dynamic film.
It’s set in Charlestown, a Boston neighbourhood being gentrified while crime, drugs, and violence still rule the streets.  The film opens with a daring daytime bank robbery. The four masked gunmen flee with the loot, a hostage in tow. After releasing bank employee Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the foursome discover she lives in Charlestown. They fear she may be able to identify them, so Affleck’s character volunteers to “tail” her. Affleck plays a strapping Irishman, Doug McCray. He falls in love with Keesey, but then spends the rest of film struggling to find a balance with his new love and loyalty towards his partners in crime.
Jeremy Renner plays Affleck’s childhood friend, James Coughlin. Through the bank heists, a mad car chase, and the dark alleys of Charlestown, it is Renner who steals the show. The Oscar-winner from The Hurt Locker is an honest and brash actor, and his character is magnificent. His flat Boston accent gives his character depth and emotion. Renner holds the somewhat crazy plot together and adds to the drama.
If The Town screams “Oscar nomination” then Renner is owed the Best Supporting Actor nod. However, there are some aspects where Affleck could have improved the film. His characters’ predictable conflict through most of the film leaves audiences yearning for more action, and the plot is hard to believe.  
The film for the most part ebbs and flows, but it takes turns at breakneck speed. The final showdown can be best described as epic. A dramatic screenplay and good acting by the supporting actors cast makes a good night at the movies. Catch The Town before it leaves town!

Deb Williams is Canadian by way of Bombay. She lives in a Toronto suburb with her husband and son. Deb reviews films and books for www.DolceDolce.com.  She also completed her first marathon this year.