It wouldn’t be a heist picture without a heavy-handed romantic subplot, but The Town buys its way out with interesting characters and an adherence to classic filmmaking.
Ben Affleck steps out in the creative limelight; not only does he direct The Town, (a reference to the Charlestown neighborhood in Boston, apparently infamous for bank robberies) but his performance as the principle actor serves to encapsulate the various moods of the film. Affleck’s comedy and dramatic delivery is on point, but his intimidation pales in the light of his grizzly friend Jim Caughlin (Jeremy Renner), or John Hamm’s performance as the FBI agent tracking the band of criminals.
The script throws no real curveballs, but lines like “We’re holdin’ court in the streets” let amateur writers Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard off the hook. They had a guidebook, though, since The Town is based on the Chuck Hogan novel Prince of Thieves. The script’s cleverness lies in its subtleness and relative simplicity. Mainly, the plot stays out of the way of action and character development.
Violence is comparatively minimal to other films this summer. Ahem. But the bank robbery sequences in The Town are placed deftly as to emphasize them and accentuate their effect. The group robs a bank wearing Skeletor masks, drives an armored car dressed as nuns, and finally tackles Fenway Park disguised as cops. The effect is grotesque but atrociously attractive, and it’s all handled well. There’s nothing like gunfire on the street.
The Town is a very balanced, tastefully crafted film. Props to Pete Postlethwaite for his accent, to Affleck for directing a second one, to all four writers, to Rebecca Hall for playing a complex and dynamic role, and finally to Robert Elswitt. You might not remember his name but he’s filmed every P.T. Anderson movie and many others over the years. Director of Photography is an important job, but cameramen get overlooked in favor of the guy who shouts and orders everybody around.
Go see The Town. Unless you’re watching Oliver Stone’s new Wall Street, you’re wasting your money at the theater. Not even Woody Allen can pull Hollywood out of this slump.
3/5
