The Town

Director: Ben Affleck
UK release: 24 Sept 2010
US release 17 Sept 2010
Screenplay: Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, Peter Craig
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner, Pete Postlehwaite, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, Titus Welliver

IMDB page



She said:

It takes less than 10 minutes of watching this film to realise that Ben Affleck must have had a hand in the writing of it. It is essentially a film about a man brought up in the wrong place with the wrong people around; a victim of circumstance looking for a change but struggling to take it. This film reminded me a lot of Good Will Hunting in this way (also co-written by Ben Affleck)... but really it was the almost indecipherable Boston accents that were the real give away.

Of course this film is not in the same genre as Good Will Hunting so don't use that film to judge whether you'd like this one. This film shows a more gritty, harsh side of Boston depicting organised crime rather than petty gang squabbles. At some points this film is hard to watch because the violence is very realistic (I had to look away) but it never felt over the top or forced. Instead it gave the film a sense of realism and grabs you very emotionally, even if you don't at first realise that it has.

Really I have to give the credit to the cast particularly Rebecca Hall and Jeremy Renner (who plays Affleck's 'hardcore' best friend with frightening authenticity!) Rebecca Hall I love of course because she is a British actress making it in Hollywood and she does a convincing American accent, although she didn't go down the Boston-twang route. Her performance, along with Ben Affleck's, was understated and powerful. I am sure we will see her in more things!

I give this film {{{4 out of 5}}}

He said:
I was presently surprised with The Town. I am, like so many others less than impressed when I see Ben Affleck's face on a movie poster. But to be honest the man knows Boston and knows how to direct. This is a well paced and at times surprising film, the likes of which I haven't seen from Affleck since Good Will Hunting.

One of the things that intrigued me the most was how each heist was cleverly conceived and done in a completely different way from the previous heist we had seen. The few chases in the film were executed brilliantly and had me on the edge of my seat while on screen.

Helen mentioned above Renner's performance being spot on, I think one of the roles that showed real acting chops was Blake Lively's performance, though to be honest her Boston accent was the most obviously forced in the film, her performance was spot on. It obviously didn't hurt that the character of Krista is about as far from the Sisterhood of traveling pants Lively that most audiences have come to expect.

This is a well written and fantastic directed film that surprised me more than once, I left the theatre pleasantly surprised and possibly secretly plotting my own armored car (or Bread Truck) heist. I enjoyed this film and I give it {{{4 out of 5}}}

They said:
A fun well paced if, at times overly violent picture of bank heists in Boston, not a bad date night film that you both can enjoy we give it [[[8 out of 10]]]

Question of the Week: What is your favorite Heist film?