THE TOWN (18)
D: Ben Affleck
Warner Bros./Legendary (Graham King & Basil
Iwanyk)
US 2010
124 mins
Crime/Drama
W: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig & Aaron Stockard [based on the
book "Prince Of Thieves" by Chuck Hogan]
DP: Robert Elswit
Ed: Dylan Tichenor
Mus: Harry Gregson-Williams & David Buckley
Ben Affleck (Doug MacRay), Rebecca Hall (Claire Keesey), Jon
Hamm (Adam Frawley), Jeremy Renner(Jeremy Coughlin), Blake Lively (Krista Coughlin), Pete Posthelthwaite (Fergus Colm), Chris Cooper (Stephen MacRay)
The Town proves Ben Affleck's talents as a director and
screenwriter, as he pairs a talented ensemble cast with a typical heist plot, as a longtime thief in a small Massachusetts town becomes involved in a relationship with a bank manager from one of
his previous robberies and must face a decision on whether to continue on his path of criminal activities or settle down into a quieter life, a choice complicated further by an FBI agent's
investigation as well as the code of silence not being respected amongst some of his gang's members.
The plot will strike similarities with both Heat (qv) and
Mystic River (qv), though it doesn't quite have the magic to make it a memorable piece of cinema. A good watch, with some tremendous performances from several of the cast members, but nowhere
near a classic of the crime genre.
6/10