Affleck as director no fluke with 'The Town'
<p>The cast of "The Town", from left, Chris Cooper, Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively pose at eh premiere of the film at Fenway Park in Boston on Sept. 14.</p>
Ben Affleck knows how to make gritty crime dramas about Boston. And how to pull fine performances out of established actors and newcomers with Boston accents.
Maybe it's just Boston, or maybe the star of "Gigli" really is an excellent filmmaker.
After a sensational debut in 2007 with "Gone Baby Gone," Affleck is back in the director's chair for "The Town," a wonderfully acted heist thriller about desperate men born out of a neighborhood that produces more bank robbers than any other city in the country.
Affleck stars as Doug MacRay, the leader of a seasoned squad of bank robbers. They wear disguises to protect their identities, but on one job, bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona") spots a distinctive tattoo on MacRay's hot-headed partner (Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker").
Captain Rage wants to "take care of the problem," but MacRay, being the noble, gun-toting robber he is, takes a more subtle approach. He chats her up at a laundromat, and the two share a genuine connection. Meanwhile, the F.B.I., led by "Mad Men"-Man Jon Hamm, is hot on the trail.
The plot is full of the standard heist stuff, with car chases and gunfights exquisitely shot by cinematographer Robert Elswit (Oscar winner for "There Will Be Blood"). But while Affleck more than proves he can preside over large set pieces, his handling of smaller, character-driven scenes proves to be his strongest skill-set, as it was with "Gone Baby Gone." Though Renner's character at first seems like your everyday violent thug, his scenes with Affleck establish a complicated and understandably close relationship.
Hamm flashes a bit more temper than his cool "Mad Men" alter-ego, especially in a blistering interrogation scene with Affleck. Hall and "Gossip Girl's" Blake Lively also add an intriguing feminine dynamic to the typically male-centric genre, and Chris Cooper has a potent cameo as MacRay's incarcerated father. It's this scene that frames "The Town" as a story about criminals born and bred by the circumstances that surround them.
The script, co-written by Affleck and based on a novel by Chuck Hogan, also successfully musters sympathy for Affleck's central character, a man who repeatedly shoots at police officers and parades around with proven killers. In the film's numerous shoot-outs, Affleck is never seen killing any good guys (Cheap plot hole or just a terrible shot?).
MacRay's relationship with Claire is the more convincing element to his likability. Not knowing specifics of his violent past, Claire sees MacRay through his failed dreams and lingering ambition to leave his life in Boston behind. "The Town" also doesn't cheapen their relationship by forcing Claire into action scenes or boneheaded lapses in logic (also common of the female role in heist movies).
There are elements of familiarity in "The Town" that may bring about unfair comparisons to "Heat" or "The Departed." Through those feelings, the lingering conclusion is that Affleck is a formidable director, and that even his acting abilities should never be in question again.
Grade: A-
Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema 6 Theater. Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. Read more film reviews and pop culture commentary at www.NormdogEntertainment.com.