A vicious gang of bank robbers — with a penchant for wearing scary disguises — pulls a heist, fears that one of the bank’s employees might have seen more than she should have, takes her along for a ride in their getaway car, and then, after awhile, lets her out… in the middle of nowhere..
That’s the high-octane beginning of one of the most riveting thrillers of the year, “The Town”.
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Ben Affleck — who also directed, and co-wrote the script — plays the leader of the gang, a professional criminal named Doug MacRay. Affleck could have portrayed him — could have directed himself to portray him — one-dimensionally, as nothing more than a real S.O.B., but, to his credit, he does not. Doug won’t win any Boy Scout medals, but in Affleck’s hands, the character is more than merely evil, more than just a goon with a gun; he’s also thoughtful, intelligent, and in possession of something that a lot of others in his line of work (including his fellow gang members) clearly lack: a conscience.
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That is why — after he 1) finds out the bank manager lives RIGHT IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD, 2) starts to keep an eye on her, and 3) (heaven help him) falls in love with her — he is not exactly sure what to do. Confess who he is? (She doesn’t know, because she’s only seen him in a mask.) Or keep the truth hidden from her, and see how far their relationship can go?
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Contrived? Of course. But thanks to Affleck’s sure-handed approach — both behind the camera and in front of it — the film’s central conceit, rather than being implausible, actually works, and we’re willing to overlook how far-fetched the whole thing is simply because the rest of the movie is done so damn well.
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As the object of Affleck’s affections, Rebecca Hall is excellent; Jon Hamm, harder-nosed than he usually is on TV’s “Mad Men”, is fine as the FBI agent tirelessly chasing Affleck and his crew from one crime scene to the next; and a host of others, led by a nearly unrecognizable Blake Lively and — in one of his final film roles — the late British actor, Pete Postlethwaite, are wonderful, too.
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And, in case you’re wondering where the REAL villainy lies — which character is the true bad-ass while Affleck romances, or tries to romance, Hall (in what is no doubt one of the most star-crossed relationships in recent cinematic memory) — that honor goes to Jeremy Renner. As Doug’s sidekick and chief henchman James Coughlin, Renner is just as crazy as he was in “The Hurt Locker”, only much more dangerous… and creepy.
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My advice: do yourself a favor and visit “The Town” the first chance you get.
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You won’t regret it.
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FILM REVIEW by Stuart R. Brynien
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