Charlestown, Massachusetts–the town responsible for the most bank robberies in the world; people have even been quoted saying things along the lines of bank robberies being treated like a trade, being passed down from generation to generation. The Town follows a group of notorious robbers, led by Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), as they traverse a job gone wrong. When things involving a witness, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), go awry, the team must find a way to overcome each of the obstacles that befall them–but greed and dishonesty will stand in the way of their freedom.
It’s been some time since I’ve seen The Town. It’s likely the last time I saw the film was right after it was released in 2010, and I honestly don’t remember much about the film. What I can remember is that I instantly thought this film was good–and that’s difficult for me to dissect. Was the film actually good when I can’t remember anything about it other than “good?” Or was the film simply adequate, and now it exists somewhere deep within the confines of my brain?
The Town is brilliant–from the set design to the acting, it’s hard to find much that is less than perfect. However, viewers get a love story that makes absolutely no sense, and at the same time it makes perfect sense. I often hate when a romance takes precedence over the more relevant aspects of a narrative–but The Town throws the romantic aspect of the film directly into the mix, not taking a back seat, but helping to facilitate all that this film is. Everything works wonderfully together, nothing ever overshadows anything else, and The Town is riveting from beginning to end as a result.
The series of writers creates a dynamic between law enforcement and criminal that allows viewers to see both sides of the coin. They can see how law enforcement is simply trying to do their job, and there are times throughout The Town when viewers find themselves rooting for the success of the FBI. However, at the same time, these characters are developed so wonderfully, and the acting is so incredibly well done that while viewers root for the “good guys,” they also find themselves hoping that the criminals–Doug, James, etc.–find success and the ability to walk away into the sunset. This beautiful juxtaposition spans the entirety of The Town, and viewers are ultimately unable to choose sides, immersing them in a world of crime and punishment of which they will likely never want to leave.
In terms of sound, both sound effects and score, The Town leaves almost nothing to be the imagination. Sound fills the screen and whatever room you’re watching The Town in, and it fully immerses viewers in the film, making them part of the experience. The Town is loud, boisterous, and energetic–and capturing realistic sound and creating a score that accurately reflects the tone of the film is essential to the film’s success, and the team tasked with this aspect of the film is incredibly successful.
There are some issues with some of the dialogue, particularly with FBI S.A. Adam Frawley’s (Jon Hamm) lines. It seems that he is meant to be a tad cheesy, maybe even a bit of an 80’s action hero-esque character, and if that’s the case then things are developed wonderfully. However, his dialogue doesn’t always fit with the tone of the rest of the film, and it becomes difficult to take him seriously. These moments water down the rest of the film to a degree, and while they certainly don’t ruin The Town, I can’t really understand why they change things so drastically for this one character.
The Town is a great heist film, but even better it’s a film that accurately examines human emotion. It’s sometimes difficult to separate work and home life, and that’s what comes to be in The Town. Affleck and his team construct something that explores the often difficult reality of human emotion, and he does it in epic fashion. This truly is a beautiful film in a number of ways–and it’s one of Affleck’s best jobs behind the camera to date.
Directed by Ben Affleck.
Written by Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, & Chuck Hogan.
Starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, George Carroll, Owen Burke, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10