I actually found this film quite entertaining although I didn't make much of a connection with any of the characters. It moves along at quite a pace and the romantic sub plot is nicely weaved into the main story without overplaying it. There are moments that are somewhat far fetched and it massively glorifies crime but a decent evenings entertainment.
This is another solid and well made movie from director Ben Affleck, with a nice mix of character based drama and gritty crime thriller. The Blu-Ray features two cuts of the film. The two hour theatrical release and a two and a half hour extended version. In my view the extended cut is the superior movie, the storyline between Doug and Claire is more developed and the extended version also includes additional scenes which flesh out the relationships between the main group of characters.
When I first watched The Town many years ago, after about half an hour I turned it off, as I was in the wrong frame of mind to watch it and at that time, it wasn’t gripping me. But after seeing it re-released on 4K and also having watched both Argo and Gone Baby Gone, I wanted to give it another shot and I’m really pleased I did.
The film is really good, with moments of high tension, as well as great performances. The robberies were all staged excellently and the smaller, quieter moments also hit home as well.
Ben Affleck is great in the central role, and the supporting cast are also excellent. Chris Cooper turned up for one scene and made more impact in 5 minutes than some actors manage in an entire film. For me, there were 2 stand-out performances; Jeremy Renner as psychopathic Jem, who rightly was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, ratcheted up the tension whenever he was on screen and you never knew what his character was going to do.
And finally, Pete Postlewaite as Fergus “The Florist.” This was a poignant and sad moment for me as not only did he, like Chris Cooper, only have a very small amount of screen time which he did wonders with; but this was one of his last performances before his death and it was clear how ill he was and deservedly he was nominated for a BAFTA.
The only frustration was that the 4K Blu-Ray did not have the Extended version, which is meant to completely change the dynamic of the film and also has a completely changed ending, which is Affleck’s preferred one.
The most recent directorial offering from star Ben Affleck is not unlike his debut movie Gone Baby Gone. Set in the violent crime-ridden heart of Boston, Charlestown The Town tells the story of a young man’s desire to escape the inevitable pull of the criminal underworld in his neighbourhood.
Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a thief who becomes involved with the once kidnapped bank manager of a previous heist. His affair with Claire (Rebecca Hall) leads him to question his own motives and desire to remain in the dark underbelly of Boston. Under this fog MacRay and his companions plan their next, and what MacRay hopes to be, final heist. However an FBI Agent (Jon Hamm) is hot on their heels and the tyrannical world of organised crime begins to crumble around them.
In many ways the movie highlights some very real issues facing many a young American, it questions the inevitability of a criminal future in some of the US’s poorest areas and asks what one is supposed to do when both family and need force you into unpleasant situations.
The film is clearly meant to be a troubling thriller, however it’s scenery seems to lack the truly seedy and gritty edge required to truly drive the message home. The film also lacks the elegance and subtlety of many an older thriller which leaves it feeling a little infantile. The action sequences are as you would expect them to be; violent and in keeping with their contemporaries. The film has a distinctily water-down feeling to it, making it feel as though it is more a cops and robbers movies for young men than an intelligent thriller for a more elite audience. This is not to say it is dumb or dull at all, just somewhat predictable.
Overall the movie is adequate, enjoyable and intriguing, yet it bares no comparison to dark noir-esque roots and is, in many ways, a disappointment after the painful excellence of Gone Baby Gone.