The Town

Directed By: Ben Affleck
Written By: Peter Craig and Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm and Rebecca Hall
Rated: R
 
MY RATING: B+
 
A nice twist on heist movies.
 
In The Town, the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown there is infamy surrounding generations of robbers.  Longtime friends Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) are falling right in line.  During a bank robbery some missteps occur and they're forced to take the bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall) hostage but only for a short period of time.  After Claire's release Doug (Affleck) volunteers to keep an eye on her ensuring that she doesn't deliver any incriminating information.  But Doug soon finds himself entangled in secrets and lies that could destroy the relationships that mean the most to him.

This movie started off action packed and pretty much did not let up much.  Very nice script!  There's also a love story that adds a twist to the plot.  Between the robberies and the story you're in suspense throughout most of the film.
The cinematography keeps it very gritty and raw.  The colors stay muted in gray, blue and black showing there's no life left in their town.  And the cast was a perfect compliment with a mix of heavy hitters like Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) with some fresh new faces like Rebecca Hall.  I loved Ben Affleck in his role as well.  He carried this film nicely. 
Though the plot was fairly predictable its still an intense joy ride that pits bank robbers against the FBI with a brotherly bond also at stake.  Great job for Writer/Director Ben Affleck!

I say see this film, it's definitely entertaining!