David O'ConnellThe Town
October 14th 2010 03:46
Ben Affleck’s latest juiced-up crime drama again compels him to return to his home town of Boston. After decisively placing Dennis Lehane’s Gone Baby Gone (2007) on the cinematic map and shocking the world with his thoughtful, detailed directorial style, Affleck proves he’s no one-trick-pony, this time adapting Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves into The Town (2010).
Baby brother Casey was the star attraction of his first venture behind the camera, but on this occasion Affleck puts himself centre stage in a well-worn but always alluring tale of criminals who are their own worst enemies, ensnared in a geographical web of blood ties and short fuses. This is Charlestown, Boston’s toughest neighbourhood and the robbery capital of the world. The film opens with Doug MacRay (Affleck) and a trio of cronies, headed by loose cannon James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), pulling off a brazen robbery in which they narrowly escape, taking along blindfolded branch manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) as insurance before dropping her off, traumatised but safe.
With the FBI on the case, headed by gun agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), Doug and Coughlin decide it might be wise to keep an eye on Claire due to the close proximity of her home to their own neighbourhood. In what amounts to the plot's most crucial development and trickiest moment to get right, Doug decides to take this task upon himself and gets close enough to Claire in a laundromat to strike up an unlikely conversation. This contrivance is played naturally enough that we begin to suspend our disbelief and become engrossed by their relationship which naturally turns serious, complicating both their lives in numerous unwanted ways.
It’s a continual struggle for Doug, having to juggle his burgeoning feelings for Claire with a code of loyalty to the reckless Coughlin, his ties to the neighbourhood and the ghost of a past relationship with Coughlin’s sister Krista (Blake Lively) who, whilst burdened with raising their child, persistently holds a flame for Doug .
The most startling aspect of The Town is how successfully Affleck wrangles performances of real quality from his cleverly constructed cast – including a possibly career-best performance from himself! Hall (such a shining star in Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008), Lively, and Hamm especially are all very welcome fresh faces on the big screen and they acquit themselves superbly, whilst Renner adds another solid off-centre characterisation to the one he so memorably nailed in The Hurt Locker (2009). There are also juicy smaller roles - little more than cameos - for Pete Postlethwaite and Chris Cooper as Coughlin and MacRay’s fathers respectively, both ingrained in the petty criminal underbelly that has long overrun Charlestown.
There are issues that would largely undermine credibility under normal circumstances but Affleck’s handling of the interplay is so assured and believable that their slightly unnatural contexts are taken out of play. The Town crackles with dramatic flair, its set-pieces - including a tasty midpoint car chase through tight and angular streets - superbly conceived and shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit, best known for his work with Paul Thomas Anderson. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams and David Buckley suffers from a modern affliction of absent organic elements, instead too often layering urgent synth beats over scenes to induce excitement. Though generic it does occasionally help heighten the mood.
Perhaps lacking the substance of Gone Baby Gone, Affleck’s follow-up is still a tasty morsel in its own right. Yes, it strays into some very familiar cul-de-sacs along a murky urban sprawl where life is cheap, but the key characters are grounded in a truthfulness that we can identify with for the most part. Blissfully - in the light of some recent duds - I can assure you that these are two hours of your life you won’t regret handing over to the man who once turned Daredevil into a running joke. Ben Affleck, all is forgiven.
The Town opened in Australian cinemas today.
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Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Affleck is certainly erasing memory of some of his erroneous choices of the past, no doubt about it.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Very excited!
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
I liked this movie too. Gone Baby Gone is my favorite of the two, but this one was just as good
.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
It looked so generic and contrived from the trailer but then i did love Gone, Baby Gone which also looked uninspired from its marketing.
Great review as always David.
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Cheers Deni! I still prefer Gone Baby Gone too but my admiration for the man's directorial skills definitely went up further after seeing this.
You could definitely accuse of it being contrived and generic is some ways JD but it just works somehow - all the elements come together and Affleck's performance and confident handling pull you into the drama and never let go. Thanks for reading this mate.