Visitors Review

estebangonzalez10 (2012-05-26 05:48)

Affleck is now two for two as a director

¨I will see you; this side or the other. ¨ Many critics thought thatBen Affleck's successful directorial debut in Gone Baby Gone could haveto do with beginners luck, but he proved them otherwise with The Townbecause he has made one of the best films of the year once again. Hehas managed to go two for two now and is beginning to prove he may havea better career as a director than an actor. Affleck has brought us oneof the best crime thrillers of the decade; I was completely hooked fromthe very beginning with the heist and chase scenes as well as with thecharacters. The movie has several tense scenes that will have you atthe edge of your seat, and at the same time very well developedcharacters with good dialogues thanks to a smart script adapted byAffleck himself and a good performance from the entire cast. Thescreenplay was adapted from Chuck Hogan's novel ¨Prince of Thieves¨ andbesides Affleck, Aaron Stockard and Peter Craig collaborated with theadaptation. The screenplay was very well adapted although it differsfrom the novel in the ending. Affleck also stars in this film and hedoes a pretty good job, but who really steals the show is Jeremy Renneras the secondary character. The rest of the cast also have an aboveaverage performance: Blake Lively, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, and the latePete Postlethwaite all give very memorable performances thanks to thesolid material they had to work with. Affleck seems to bring the bestout of each actor as a director and he has proved he has a verypromising career ahead of himself if he continues at this pace.As in Affleck's other film the story takes place once again in Boston.Charlestown is a neighborhood known for producing the most blue collarbank robbers in the world. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James Coughlin(Jeremy Renner), Albert Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond Elden (OwenBurke) have all grown up together in Charlestown and are no exceptionto the rule. Together they have managed to pull off a series of armoredvehicles and bank robberies throughout Boston under Doug's leadership.They receive tips from a florist owner known as Fergie (PetePostlethwaite) who has controlled the neighborhood for years. Duringtheir latest bank robbery things go wrong and they are forced to takethe bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall) hostage before letting her gounharmed once they have escaped. Things begin to get complicated onceJames realizes that Claire lives in their same neighborhood and fearsshe might have seen something. Doug decides to follow her around tomake sure she doesn't suspect anything and in doing so they begin todevelop a friendship. James would much rather get rid of her because hedoesn't want to risk their cover, but Doug has fallen for her and wantsto change his life around. Doug will soon discover that getting out ofa life of crime will be more difficult than he ever could haveimagined. Doug's other concern is that the FBI is close on their tailand they are receiving a lot of heat from S.A. Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm)and his partner Dino (Titus Welliver).The Town is a very tense and gripping movie that manages to balancewell crafted suspenseful crime scenes with well developed charactersand a good script that adds some emotional drama to the actionsequences. It is hard to avoid comparisons between this movie andMichael Mann's Heat since every successful crime film can be comparedto that one, the best of its genre. Ben Affleck is turning into a greatdirector and is perhaps doing something similar for Boston to whatWoody Allen and Spike Lee do for New York. There is no denying Affleckalso has talent as a screenwriter since he won an Oscar for his workwith Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, and Gone Baby Gone was also areally good adaptation. Crime thrillers are one of my favorite genresin film and it has been awhile since I have enjoyed one as much as Idid with The Town. It has great action scenes that feel real andinteresting characters. Jeremy Renner is really on a hot streakfollowing up on his Oscar nominated performance for The Hurt Locker. Inthis movie he is once again the highlight of the film. Blake Livelyalso gave a terrific performance as an alcoholic and drug addict motherfrom Charlestown who has a casual relationship with Doug. Her Bostonaccent was right on the mark. The entire cast was great in this film. Ireally enjoyed this film and consider it to be one of the best of 2010along with Inception.http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

(2012-05-25 16:28)

Flash-bang

First off, let me go ahead and say, The Town is one of the best movies of the year. If that's all you wanted to know, have a nice day. Otherwise, continue on my friend.I have said it hundreds of times, rather than spell out the plot I prefer to tell you about my experience and feelings about the film. Let's face it - it's a bore to cipher through reviews only to re-read the same material over and over.The Town is Ben (Gigi) Affleck's second attempt at helming a film, and boy does he succeed. As everyone knows (including Affleck himself, I'm sure) Ol' Ben has been taking heat for his recent choices at the flicker show. Some say it started moments after the final reel of Good Will Hunting had spun. Some say he was doomed once Armageddon entered the scene. I don't know, but I have personally never had a problem with his performances as much as the films themselves. He has been in some doozies, which makes The Town that much more surprising.I loved the movie. The characters are realistic and strong. The plot is thick and believable. There are moments that I couldn't believe I was seeing, as they harkened back to Hitchcock. If you have seen it, I will only say: Tattoo. Ben Affleck definitely has his team to thank, but after doing some research I found that he himself may be the reason for the impact of many of the character driven scenes. He told his fellow actors to take the lines they were given, and use improvisation to bookend the lines. This worked extremely well. Instead of the usual cookie cutter deliveries typically found in a film like this, we have a series of smooth real-life conversations that play at a pitch perfect level throughout. The characters seem like they know each other, and speak as if they have history together. And then there is the cool Dark Knight vibe...There are many scenes that I would love to discuss in detail, but unfortunately I would be considered a jerk to those who haven't seen it. Trust me, though the whole film is great, there are five or more scenes specifically that I could write a hundred pages about. Once you've seen it, you'll probably know what I am referring to.Suspense is a big word and it's hard to find, at least in movies churned out these days. You'll find it here, drawn out tremendously and then kicked up again. I haven't held my breath during a movie in a long while. When you care about the characters, even when they are villains, it's a natural response... Hollywood, ahem.In closing, go and see it. Good movies need to be supported, and I for one am looking forward to next Affleckian projecto.The Town is why I go the movies. `Nuff said.

JohnRouseMerriottChard (2012-05-24 23:38)

You know people get up everyday, tell themselves something's gonna change their lives.

The Town is Charlestown, Boston, a place where crime is a way of life.Following a bank robbery, professional thief Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck)has to keep a watch on bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall)because after using her as hostage leverage during escape from theheist, she is the only witness who could possibly identify his gang.But once the two meet they start to fall for each other, forcing MacRayto re-evaluate his life in Charlestown. It's a re-evaluation that willupset a lot of people close to him and the gangster boss who hires him,and all this at a time when FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) isclosing in on the gang.One of the most startling things about Ben Affleck's second film asdirector is that even with it's conventional plot, and formulaiccharacters, it's still an exhilarating and fresh picture. With Affleckcomfortable in his Boston surroundings, it's evident that he and theteam went for authenticity, something which in the main they achieve.Sure there's the odd implausible moments, they are-like it or not-copsand robbers staples, but The Town is not your standard run of the millactioner. It's is, for want of pigeon holing, a modern day noir,resplendent with bleak mood and well oiled characters. Based on ChuckHogan's novel Prince of Thieves, The Town follows the formula of arotten town with rotten people doing their best or worst to live andget by. Into the pot comes the bad guy who meets a good woman who wantsto leave his crappy life and crappy home behind. So far so well troddenpath, then, but this is not a giant gangland operation, like, say, TheDeparted or The Godfather et al, this is a small neighbourhood setting,with a small group of everyday dressed young men. It's one of thereasons why Affleck's film feels authentic.Helping to exude the naturalistic and human feel of the drama is thatAffleck doesn't overdo his action sections, yet they are terrificsections for sure. This is not Tony Scott/Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimeraction for popcorn excess. From the electric kick-start of the firstheist, to the mid-section car chase-and to the knock out coup de grâceset in motion at Red Sox Stadium, Affleck shows great skill as acrafter of action: aided superbly by Dylan Tichenor's energisedediting. Other violence is swift and to the point, the director knowingnot to dwell too long on vicious passages in the narrative, thuskeeping his characters free of caricatures. Mind, he is thankful to thegreat cast assembled for his picture, for this is very much an actorspiece. Well written without flabby periods of talk for talk sake, TheTown provides proper drama for proper actors; and that includes thedirector himself.Jeremy Renner is quickly turning into the go to guy for edginess, hereas MacRay's best pal, Jem, he deals out a frightening loose cannonturn. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small roles, but bothimpact hard on proceedings, both memorable and both adding a touch ofclassy know how. Hamm arguably has the hardest role, for as FBI AgentFrawley he has to carry on his own the other plot thread that is theinvestigation. Not just that, but the film lends itself to one whichdares you to root for the bad guys, it's a tough ask of the Mad Menactor but he nails it, with one two-fold scene in a bar, as he grillsMacRay's ex , Krista (Blake Lively heartfelt and believable),particularly offering a glimpse of what a good actor he can be.Ultimately the main load has to be carried by Affleck and Hall as thecentral doomed lovers. There is death and misery every where inCharlestown; and for the protagonists of the story, including Doug &Claire. Their relationship offers hope, a beacon of hope in a murkyworld, but it's a relationship founded on black secrets and builtaround falsehoods. That Affleck & Hall draw us in with charm and actinggravitas further serves notice as to why The Town is top draw stuff.Hardships, hard decisions and hard characters come alive in The Town, agreat modern day drama that's showing Gone Baby Gone was no fluke, thislad Affleck really is some director. 9/10

(2012-05-24 10:51)

Action packed

This review is from: The Town (DVD) Non-stop full on action with a twist. Great acting, good plot, and full on entertainment. This movie made my surround system 'dance'. As a true Ben Affleck fan I was not let down.

jasonbourne007 (2012-05-23 22:12)

Heat like

Ben Affleck is already a good director. Since "Gone baby gone", he madehis place as a director. "The town" is a really good action movie,breathless, exciting. Affleck made a good choice with the casting: theamazing Jeremy Renner, himself for the essential. Affleck already knowshow to direct a movie, he has got a really good talent for that. Nodoubt. The problem with "The town" is the screenplay: it looks like"Heat". A lot of events and twists are the same, but no spoiler here.Affleck is not as good as De Niro, and Jon Hamm not Al Pacino at all.So the comparison is not good for "The town", which seems like a little"Heat". The bad guys are more developed than the good ones, and thatindicates the limits of the movie.If we forgot this big default with the screenplay, this movies keepsgood things: nice directing, rhythm, and empathy for the characters(the bad ones only).

seansshack (2012-05-23 10:31)

The Town

Background and insight: I wanted to see this film from the moment Iwatched the trailer. Now I've been watching films/movies for as long asI have any visual memories and I know how easy it can be to make a filmlook good in a trailer. But the trailer for the Town contained all theelements of a great film. This was the difficult 2nd film for BenAffleck. Gone Baby Gone was received well on release although it didget caught up is a small amount of controversy because of thesimilarities in plot to the real world tragic disappearance ofMadeleine McCann. It proved to be a solid film, well written, well castand well directed by Affleck. Critics then as critics do, started tosuggest it was a fluke. What did Affleck do? He upped the stakes. Thistime with a bigger budget, much more ambitious plot and cast himself inthe leading role. Not only that, but the trailer suggested actionsequences to rival one of cinema's finest heist movies, Heat. Affleckstars, directs and co-writes the film which this time is a big studiofilm with a modest budget of $37 million, of which from the film Iwatch, you get to see every cent on the screen.Rest of review here:http://seanryantownreview.blogspot.com/2010/10/town-movie-review.html

Tyler G (2012-05-23 08:07)

The Town: A Tense Ride Through Charlestown

It's suspenseful, gripping, intense, and before you know it, it's over.Simply put, The Town is a well-made crime/thriller/romance thatreminded me of great action movies from the 90's, with a visual styleof today.It was a relief to see that Affleck didn't just luck out with Gone BabyGone, his direction abilities have really been proved again in TheTown. A ton of focus during production went into making the film asaccurate as possible, while avoiding clichés. For the most part, itdoes. While there were a few, it is overcome by solid acting from allcast members, especially Jeremy Renner and Affleck. Oh, and let's notforget John Hamm. The secondary characters were just as interesting,most notably Fergus 'Fergie' Colm, the boss of this tightly-knitCharlestown mob.Yes, it's taking some shots for not completely original, but thenagain, what is? I've always liked the quote: "It's not where you takethings from – it's where you take them to." This holds true for theTown. Affleck made this one his own. How many movies have had 20minutes of climatic action in and around Fenway Park? The film alsokept it's budget low, while still doing everything for real- therewasn't an overload of CG effects and Michael Bay inspired explosions.It's a solid film with the perfect blend of drama and really greatsuspenseful action. You couldn't for the most part figure out what wasgoing to happen, or, if you guessed, were wrong. The only smallcomplaint was the ending. While still very acceptable, they could havedone something more with it.Conclusion: brilliant acting, editing, cinematography, and direction.The Town should very well get your blood pumping.

(2012-05-23 02:03)

Fantastic film - excellent acting, writing, directing

I am a little biased being from MA/Boston - but this is up there with any drama and/or suspense movie. For me - the realism is key - the familiarity with accurate Boston sub-culture, etc. The acting - is really well-done - the directing by Ben Affleck is probably the best part of this movie outside the acting, as it frames the story and cinemetography. Highly recommend - this is in my top 20 movies of all time. As good as "Heat" or other Michael Mann flicks in terms of raw suspense - and as good as "Good Will Hunting" in terms of writing/directing.

Movie_Muse_Reviews (2012-05-22 01:43)

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

(2012-05-21 18:03)

The Town

This review is from: The Town (Two-Disc Extended Cut) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Good Product, but I wonder if I can get the extended version on DVD since I don't have Blue-Ray. Thanks

stensson (2012-05-20 13:37)

Seen so many times before, but...

The criminal wanting to start a new life isn't exactly an unknowntheme. Here we for once in our lives are in Boston. In a neighborhoodwhich produces most bank-robbers in the world. Sounds promising.The usual betrayal is here. Towards yourself, friends and girlfriends,but it isn't without complications and the working class aspect is alsopresent. That's not totally unknown either in American films aboutturning-around criminals, but we get more of it here than usual.Too much shooting in the end, because the action film addicts mustn'tbe disappointed. But professionally made, surely, OK. Could have been alittle better, but surely also worse.

brocksilvey (2012-05-20 02:01)

Accomplished, But Also Slow and Talky

"The Town" showcases Ben Affleck's potential as a director, but it alsohighlights the qualities about his style that have so far preventedthat potential from fully blossoming.Set in the dreariest, gloomiest parts of Boston, much like hisdirectorial debut "Gone, Baby Gone," "The Town" is a moody characterstudy disguised as a heist film. The authentic feel and raw edgesAffleck brings to his story go a long way toward masking the fact thatit's full of pure movie cliché. A sensitive criminal (played by Affleckhimself) becomes conflicted and dreams of starting a new life once hebegins to receive the love of a good woman (Rebecca Hall, lovely asalways but stuck with a somewhat thankless role). Affleck seems to havegone to the Clint Eastwood school of filmmaking, where everything --both in the actual physical production and its tone -- must be gray anddrab and ponderously "important." It's a slow and talky movie, and Ifound myself wishing Affleck would just get on with things already. Ididn't dislike it, but I did find that my opinion of it began togradually sink after I'd let the memory of it settle in my mind for afew days after watching it.Affleck clearly wants to be taken seriously as a Filmmaker with acapital "F," but he needs to remember that the best filmmakers manageto make movies that are both important and entertaining.Grade: B

JoeC345 (2012-05-17 03:39)

Great Crime Drama

It's true Ben Affleck has been in some rather bad movies(cough"Reindeer Games") but really his record is definitely over .500 from"Good Will Hunting" to "The Sum of All Fears" and the underrated"Changing Lanes". He's been the butt of a lot of jokes but when itcomes to his directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" and this one "The Town"no ones laughing. The one thing that shocked me was the real suspense Ifelt during the movie. One thing directors are doing now that isruining this is making the audience omniscient. Giving us all the viewsso we know whats coming around every corner. Here we're left in thedark to guess what's going on just as the characters are wonderingwhat's going on.A movie like this rely's heavily on the actors and some you'llrecognize from "Gone Baby Gone". Jeremy Renner who most of you willremember from last year's "Hurt Locker" however is your looking for areprise of that role stop and look for something else. Here he'splaying a thug and thief and he does it masterfully. The rest ofMacRay's crew is effective in there roles from Slaine as the driver toBlake Lively as Coughlin's drugged out sister with a daughter and noidea who the father is. Also Jon Hamm as the F.B.I. agent Frawley isgood even though he seems like the villain in all this you have toremember the heroes of this movie are criminals, that is all I'll sayon that subject.One side note that I've been finding more and more interesting latelyis that when people walk out a theatre playing a movie like this thereis always one or two people saying "they didn't need all that badlanguage" my first thought is, well when your in a shoot out or runningfrom the cops your not thinking "oh shoot I really hope I get away". Sobe warned if language or violence offends you stay clear of this one orreally any crime movie of this sort.If your still reading then this is your sort of movie and you will notbe disappointed I enjoyed every minute of it and was actually on theedge of my seat for part of it. I try to while until I write a reviewon any movie so I'm not still in awe of the initial viewing. So as Ihave viewed "The Town" again I'm reminded how much I was enjoyed thismovie and how it will probably rank up with the greats like "Heat".I'm actually excited to see what Ben Affleck does next, whereas somecould argue "Gone Baby Gone" was a fluke, I can't see anyone saying itnow after this one.

rjc722 (2012-05-16 19:42)

My Kind of Town

Synopsis: After pulling his last heist, bank robber Doug MacRay (BenAffleck) seeks out hostage and potential witness Claire Keesey (RebeccaHall). In finding out what she knows he unwittingly begins to fall forher which angers his partners in crime, specifically hothead JamesCoughlin (Jeremy Renner) who thanks to Doug's former relationship withhis sister Krista (Blake Lively), feels betrayed. Doug's problems beginto escalate as he attempts keep his identity a secret from Claire whiledodging FBI Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) and local mob boss "Fergie"(Pete Postlethwaile) who forces him to pull one last heist. Buzz: The"Superman" persona that Ben Affleck usually exudes in every role heplays is actually believable in the Boston setting he's obviouslyaccustomed and comfortable with. Although Jon Hamm's FBI agent comesoff as a pompous version of his "Mad Men" counterpart and Blake Livelyis obviously miscast as former lover who judging from her age wouldhave put Affleck in the can long ago for statutory rape. It is howeverJeremy Renner that steals more than bank money as he walks away withevery scene he's in. Unfortunately Rebecca Hall manages to get as lostin the shuffle as she did in Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona.Adding great support are Chris Cooper as Affleck's interred father andof course the very visual Postlethwaile, whose face can be found in thedictionary under "Character Actor". Verdict: Although Affleck andRenner's performances are enough to carry the day, it is the story thatsells the movie. The twists, turns, double-crosses and downright actionare all interwoven into a tight script also penned by Affleck. Inaddition, Affleck's direction behind the camera has some nice touchesof creative expression and style that he obviously picked up afteryears of performing in front of it. In addition, the film's productionvalues, which include car chases, explosions and various shots ofFenway Park during an actual Red Sox game will leave even non "beantown" fans impressed. The ending is somewhat predictable, yetsatisfying and all in all, worth the wait. Did you know? Jeremy Rennerdecided to surround himself with actual convicted bank robbers inCharlestown for research reasons and to help him nail the accent.

(2012-05-16 20:57)

Pretty good movie

Really enjoyed watching this movie. Great action. Ben did great job. Few things were unrealistic like actress not recognizing any of their voices later specially Ben's as he had very distinct voice.

(2012-05-16 01:48)

Good, but far from great

This is an interesting film, if only due to the strange high-praise it's getting. Gone Baby Gone is a vastly superior film, but it actually got "worse" reviews than The Town (though both films were very highly praised). The film's problems can be overlooked, though there are some glaring weaknesses. Not the least of which is Ben Affleck in the lead of a bank robber with a conscience. The best part of Gone Baby Gone was that Ben Affleck did NOT cast himself in the lead, but he just couldn't resist here. He's just not charismatic and likable. Born to be the villain, but never wanting that role. He should have played the detective, although in reality that would have been the "good guy" if this wasn't hollywood trying to make you think that somehow a bank robber is the hero and the man trying to arrest him is the villain. Jeremy Renner's character is undeveloped. We're not oblivious to films like this, and you get the idea right from the start that there's going to be some sort of betrayal. We've seen it a million times. Unfortunately, since you're looking for that, it's easy to overlook the family-like connection between the two. So there's an issue there. Renner's sister is introduced as a slut and very little is used to get into her and Affleck's backstory until the very end. The film's biggest weakness is definitely how characters are introduced without much explanation, and as such, it's difficult to know where they fit into the big scheme of things. As I said, films like this always seem to go in a certain direction and, when a film doesn't, you need to avoid misdirection - because everyone sitting in that theater was fully aware that Renner and Affleck would be at odds at one point (I'm not saying it does happen, but the seeds are planted from the start that it will happen).Another issue is the idea of a bank robber falling in love with a hostage. Seen that before, very recently in fact. In fact, a lot of this movie just feels like bits and pieces of other movies. There's not really an original idea to be had anywhere here. It was shot almost exactly like Gone Baby Gone, but it lacks in every category that GBG excelled in. The final annoyance is tying Fenway Park into the ending. I know that Affleck is Red Sox fan, but the whole parking garage shootout thing wasn't very good. You could tell they said "Hey, let's put Fenway in the movie" and then had to write a scene around it. That's not how you make a good movie. It gets better after that, but that scene reminds me of the lame beach battle at the end of Robin Hood (2010). It's just like "really? that's the best you could do for the CLIMACTIC battle!?"I'm ripping the film, but it's pretty good. I know others are going to give it high praise, so my review is just to balance them out - to let you know in advance that this isn't a great crime drama like Gone Baby Gone was. There are no amazing performances by people you've never heard of. There's no brilliantly woven story with twists. It's just a movie that tries to be Heat - and on some levels succeeds, but for the most part, it just doesn't need to exist. Easily forgotten and discarded, Affleck needs to figure out why he made Gone Baby Gone and consider those reasons in his future endeavors, because The Town is lacking the soul that GBG had.

john21710 (2012-05-11 22:53)

This is one heck of a great movie!!

Everything about this movie was fantastic but I have to give the mostcredit to Ben Affleck - best acting yet and one heck of a directingjob!! I've been on the fence with you Ben and honestly gave Matt Damonmost of the credit for Good Will Hunting's writing. I am sorry aboutthat - this movie proved me wrong. I now give YOU most of the creditfor Good Will Hunting!! "The Town" felt like I was watching one ofClint Eastwood's best directed masterpieces. Just a fantastic job Ben!!This movie has the perfect amount of action, suspense, drama, love,lust, grit, and it's very believable. It shows you everything about thetough streets of a corrupted city that you don't want to admit you knowis real and never crosses the line into unbelievable. Everything fromacting, directing, filming, and surround sound are perfect and pull youright in. I found myself leaning forward as if I was part of theaction. I'll be watching it again. Rent this movie and enjoy!!

youaresquishy (2012-05-11 12:09)

Nothing special, but not terrible

I thought this movie was an acceptable way to pass some time, butoverall was nothing terribly special. The few action scenes were prettyinteresting and creative though--it was the parts in between that Ididn't really enjoy much. If the entire movie was as good as the actionsequences, it definitely would've received a 6 or 7 from me. I don't think Ben Affleck is an especially good actor, and I thought hewasn't especially good in this. I didn't believe in his charactermuch-- he didn't really seem like a bad guy to me. I didn't think therewas much chemistry between him and his character's love interest. Ididn't think Jon Hamm was all that good either--he didn't really seemlike an FBI guy to me. I thought Jeremy Renner stole the show. ChrisCooper was excellent, as usual, but had only a small role. I thoughtRebecca Hall was pretty good. Certain portions of the plot were a little silly, but I don't want tospoil anything. Overall, I guess if you're really big on crime movies,you should probably see this just for the crime parts, because they arepretty cool. As a whole, however, this isn't particularly good orparticularly bad.

napierslogs (2012-05-11 02:40)

Thoughtful, character-driven crime drama thriller

Take a crime-ridden community with gritty streets but with young mentrying to get to a better life and the hopefulness of a possibleromance, and you get "The Town", a thoughtful and discerning dramaticthriller.Going beyond "Gone Baby Gone" (2008), Ben Affleck has created anextremely well done film. Yes, it's a crime thriller, but better thanthat, it has real characters who each have their own motives. Most ofthe advancements in the plot are done rather subtly, and they are alsomostly character-driven. And that's the sign of a great crime thriller."The Town" should be in the running for all the major awards of theseason. Affleck, Rebecca Hall, and Jeremy Renner all portrayedinteresting characters that had their own reasons for getting into andout of the town full of crime. "The Town" is one of the best crimedramas made, especially for those wanting to see more acumen,consideration and distinction in the genre.Follow my blog Napierslogs' Movie Expositions athttp://napierslogs.blogspot.com

(2012-05-10 14:41)

Should have been great and IS...unless you have a moral compass

Has all the trappings of a very good action/adventure/drama: excellent director/actor in Ben Affleck...John Hamm, Jeremy Renner. Interesting plot. The whole thing is subverted by the absolute lack of a moral compass in the plot structure and characters. We are supposed somehow to identify with Doug, a career criminal who, with his co-conspirators, rob banks, destroy property, put lives in jeopardy, kidnaps and terrorizes an innocent witness. Then, after accumulating all this money decides to leave "the town" with Claire and leave his life of crime. Is it due to remorse over his antisocial, criminal life? Not hinted at. Just tired of it. I was actually angry as I left the theater, and cannot to this day understand how rational people think this film is so great. If you want great Ben Affleck, watch Gone Baby Gone. Big thumbs down to this one (sorry, Roger Ebert for stealing your copyrighted phrase).