Review: THE TOWN

A crime drama must be handled delicately. An overabundance of action can cheapen it; too many lines of dialog can make it drag. A balance must be found in order for it to satisfy. And if balance can’t be found, are nuns with machine guns enough?

After 2007‘s Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck is back with his sophomore venture, The Town. Affleck steps in front of the camera this time, playing Doug, a career bank robber from the rough neighborhood of Charlestown in Boston. He and his long-time friends-Jem (Jeremy Renner), Dez (Owen Burke), and Gloansy (Slaine)-hit a Cambridge bank and end up taking the manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), hostage. Though they free her unscathed, Jem confiscates her driver’s license and employs Doug to follow her, making sure she doesn’t remember any details that will compromise their life of crime. Doug and Claire begin dating and Claire divulges her memories of the robbery to him, along with the fact that she has been in contact with the FBI agent handling the case, Frawley (Jon Hamm). With Jem planning more robberies, Frawley hot on his trail, and his feelings for Claire progressing, Doug finds himself caught in a game of cat and mouse when all he wants is a fresh start in a new place.

The tone of The Town is set by its well-paced plot and suspenseful action sequences. Affleck fluidly introduces characters and situations that let his audience know just what kind of hell Charlestown is, why anyone would want to flee but few feel like they can. Scenes packed with rapid gunfire are balanced by ones that are more dialog-heavy, keeping this crime drama on point with its genre. As for performances, Jeremy Renner takes the top prize with his turn as Jem. He clearly commits himself to the role, never losing sight of Jem’s motivations and desires. These natural, effortless elements give this film its edge.

Despite its strong, compelling beginning, The Town fizzle out due to how muddled it becomes. The plot is on point, but the writing leaves much to be desired. Seemingly important characters introduced in the first half-hour, most namely Krista (Blake Lively) and Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite), do not reappear in any meaningful way until the final 45 minutes, leaving them underdeveloped. An excessive amount of time is spent focusing on the relationship between Doug and Claire, a relationship that never really proves itself to be genuine. Doug spews out hokey line after hokey line trying to win over his damsel in distress, leading the film to a weak, sour ending. The audience is left questioning far too much.

The Town managed to win me over with its thrilling robberies and the men behind them, however, it left me wishing for a consistent script and believable bonds between characters. The flaws are apparent, but it still succeeds.

Rating: 3.5/5