I'll see you again... this side or the other.

In 2007, Ben Affleck made his very impressive directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone (2007), which starred his younger brother, Casey Affleck, in a riveting performance. Now, it's three years later and he is three days away from his sophomore directorial debut with The Town (2010), which stars Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Rebecca Hall… and Ben Affleck, himself. I had the pleasure of seeing The Town six months ago at an advance screening.

The Town revolves around the lives of four bank robbers from Charlestown, Massachusetts. Charlestown is a one square mile neighborhood in Boston and known for having the highest number of bank and armored car robberies anywhere in the United States. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) leads his boys and stays on top of their excessive behaviors, including his short-tempered best friend, Jem Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), who is the closest thing to a brother that Doug has. Krista (Blake Lively) is Jem’s sister and Doug’s ex-girlfriend, who has a 19-month old baby that she believes belongs to Doug.

Doug has followed in his father’s criminal footsteps, but has been contemplating leaving his lifestyle behind. In their last job, however, Jem takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), a bank manager, as hostage and complicates Doug’s plans. Jem, who has a temper like no other and is fresh out of prison after serving nine years for manslaughter, decides to track Claire down to ensure that she did not see anything during the robbery. Doug asks to take over the case, knowing Jem’s unstable state of mind, and finds himself falling in love with her. This begins complicating their lives because as Doug falls in love with Claire, the bank manager, she is at the same time being questioned by Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) of the FBI.

It’s been done countless times before, but the approach in this film is both exciting and daring. It’s an authentic and genuine look, because there is a blurred line between who is the hero and villain of the film. Sure, these kids are cut from the same cloth as some of the characters from The Departed (2006), but it’s their no-bullshit approach that grounds their action in realism. In fact, this is how I imagine banks are robbed – with force.


Jeremy Renner is the star of the film, presenting us with an impressive performance from start to finish, as he transforms into a Boston criminal with a drive for disaster. It’s an excellent departure the young actor, who becomes unrecognizable from all his previous roles. Rebecca Hall, however, gives a rather dry performance. It’s only with the help of her surrounding actors that her scenes are bearable to watch – she simply exists in the story as a romantic interest, but there’s nothing worth connecting with on emotional terms. Blake Lively is quite captivating in her performance as she plays against type in a role that we have never previously seen her in. Krista is something like a hooker, a role that demands a talented actress to begin with.

The Town takes a realistic approach to depict the grittiness of bank robbers. It's packed with action, but it's also handed effectively in the hands of Ben Affleck. It's never overwhelming or tiresome, and continuously serves to add interest and thrill to the plot of the film. It’s the believable approach of the film that has left an impression on me after six months of seeing the film.


It's hard not to mention Academy Award contenders because of its release for this Fall. In actuality, Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively deserve a nomination each for their respective performances. They both play characters we haven’t seen them take on before, and they do it quite incredibly and memorably. I personally believe this is Jeremy Renner at his finest, and possibly the best performance of the year, thus far. Ben Affleck, however, proves that he can tell stories behind the camera and I look forward to another film. This time, I know what's in store for us.

The Town is scheduled for release on September 17, 2010.