"The Town" - REVIEW

The sophomore slump. Whether one is talking about music, TV, film, the stage, etc..., it's not a phrase that anyone wants to hear about their early work. When Ben Affleck tried his hand at directing with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, even some who praised the film were careful; did Affleck just get lucky? Was this a fluke? Now, three years later, Affleck returns with another Boston-set tale of crime-drama to prove that he actually might have a knack for this directing thing. Affleck's latest, while not as successful as his directorial debut, is solid proof that 'Baby' was no accident.

Adapted from Chuck Hogan's novel "Prince of Thieves," The Town is the story of Doug McCray (Affleck), a bank robber born and raised in Boston's Charlestown area who, along with right-hand-man Jem (Jeremy Renner) go after banks and trucks, usually on orders from their cryptic boss "the florist" (Pete Postlethwaite). After robbing one bank and taking one of its managers, Claire (Rebecca Hall), hostage (she is promptly released unharmed), they discover that she lives very close nearby. Doug follows Claire and starts to befriend her, which of course, will lead to some tensions later on. Meanwhile, an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) comes in to investigate Claire's kidnapping in an effort to finally pin down McCray and his cohorts. As the third major "one-last-job" movie this year (after Inception and The American), The Town is certainly the most conventional of the trio, but that doesn't stop it from being very well made and enjoyable.

Though the film's first third or so, including the opening heist, doesn't quite register, the film really ramps up the quality starting with a heist involving the gang dressed in the creepiest old-nun masks I've ever seen. Affleck, with help from DP Robert Elswit, proves adept at staging a good-old-fashioned car chase/shoot-out both here and at the end, and its these fire fights that help liven up the routine elements of the story. The direction here is tough, straightforward, and effective. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of Affleck's involvement as an actor or co-writer. There seem to be visible signs in Affleck's scenes that he is somewhat uncomfortable being in front of the camera under his own direction. One scene in particular of him simply sitting in a car waiting looks like it could have been behind-the-scenes footage of Affleck relaxing on set. The rest of the cast fare much better though (save for Postlethwaite), especially Hall (the second time she's been an MVP in an ensemble this year) and Blake Lively as the film's two female characters. Jeremy Renner does solid work as well as Jem, but he brings us to the other big issue with the film. Part of what hinders The Town and keeps it from achieving greater impact, aside from the too-tidy last scenes, is the writing, or rather, lack-thereof. These characters feel like types, and rather empty types for that matter. Jem's past and the 9 years he spent in prison feel more like a casually thrown in detail than a fully explored angle for the character, while poor Jon Hamm is stuck simply being authoritative and angry until he gets to share one of the film's best acting scenes with Lively. This lack of stronger, richer characterization (two men are there simply to be bodies for later on) is what keeps the film from being more compelling until the nun-mask-robbery, and unfortunately this carries over to the end; the film starts to lean towards being inconsequential.

Still, for its faults, The Town remains a compelling, albeit routine, film that is executed well for the most part. It may not be up there with the likes of Heat or The Departed, but it should more than satisfy one's fix for a gritty, well-told crime story.

Grade: B