Movie Review: The Town

Doug MacRay is a bank thief who haunts the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. FBI agent Frawley is a few steps behind MacRay’s every move. MacRay is the smartest guy in his group of thieves. He’s tired of looking over his shoulder and ready to leave this crime life behind. When MacRay’s best friend Coughlin makes a stupid mistake and takes bank teller Claire Keesey hostage, MacRay lets Keesey go. Coughlin wants to eliminate Claire Keesey to make sure she doesn’t identify him. MacRay doesn’t want her hurt and devises a plan to meet Keesey in real life, and in the process falls for her.

The cast of The Town is uniformly good, with standout performances by Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Chris Cooper, and Pete Postlethwaite. I always appreciate smaller parts where an actor makes the most of their role, here Hamm, Cooper, and Postlethwaite shine.

I have to say I prefer Affleck as director more than an actor, although he does have a gift for comedy. He’s a solid actor but his directing skills are very good and on display here. The action sequences are riveting, and the connections and relationships between characters are well defined. Great camera work, gritty locations, and a defined feel for the scope of the storyline make this film highly watchable.

Watch The Town for its fine direction, effective action scenes and compelling storyline. If you enjoy good action and suspense you’ll be glad you rented this film.

2010. Written and directed by Ben Affleck. Starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Slaine, Owen Burke, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, and Chris Cooper.

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