FILM: THE TOWN

Elliot Hyams reviews Ben Affleck’s latest crime thriller.

In 1997 Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won the academy award for best original screenplay for the film Good Will Hunting. Although both had appeared in several films before this it was their performances in Good Will Hunting that catapulted them onto the A-list. Off the back of this success Damon would go on to appear in major franchises such as the Bourne and Ocean’s 11 trilogies, as well as staring in acclaimed dramas like Syriana and The Departed. Affleck however would go on to become Mr. J-Lo and appear in such stinkers as Daredevil and Pearl Harbour. For many it seemed obvious who had all the talent in that partnership. That was until 2007, when Affleck’s directorial debut Gone Baby Gone was released to critical acclaim. Written by Affleck and starring his brother Casey and Morgan Freeman, this tense drama about two Boston cops investigating a kidnapping silenced all of Affleck’s doubters.

Three years later and Affleck’s eagerly anticipated follow up, The Town, has again proven that he is someone who should not be underestimated. Written, directed, and also starring Affleck, the film sees him again returning to his Boston roots, this time to Charlestown where the most common form of employment is bank robbery. Affleck plays Doug MacRay, the leader of a gang of bank robbers in the service of dubious Irish florist Pete Postlethwaite. After a job goes wrong Doug and his gang are forced to take the bank manager, a beautiful young woman named Claire, hostage. Worried that she will be able to identify them Doug follows her, ultimately resulting in their meeting and eventual dating. Through his burgeoning relationship with Claire, and the regret at the lies has to tell both her and his gang to keep his two lives separate, Doug comes to realise that he must change his ways if he is ever going to leave Charlestown. But as always, before he can do this there is one last job to do.

What may seem like a simple crime thriller on paper is actually a lot more on screen, the relationships between characters, particularly Doug and Jeremy Renner’s Jim, are complex and drenched in sub text. As a writer Affleck does a great job of showing people’s motivations and ties to each other without resorting to exposition. Whilst it may seem ludicrous that Doug would risk everything by involving himself with Claire, the way the relationship unfolds is totally natural and believable. The film features many fantastic, subtle performances most notably from Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as a refreshingly non caricatured FBI agent, Chris Cooper in a scene stealing cameo as Doug’s incarcerated father, and Affleck himself who manages to keep Doug sympathetic at all times. As a director Affleck seems to be going from strength to strength and he particularly excels at capturing the feel of working class Boston. With The Town he has achieved a resounding success and created a film that proves to be utterly gripping, it looks like Ben Affleck may get the final laugh after all.

Review by Elliot Hyams