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When I first saw the trailer of The Town, I thought it seemed interesting but I guess there was one slight thing that made me think that it wouldn't be a brilliant film was the fact Ben Affleck was in the leading role. However, I was actually really surprised! It is a psychologically disturbing picture that does have a slightly dumb touch to it regarding the plot. What I mean by this is it perhaps did feel a bit daft when a guy falls in love with a girl who he almost killed with his friends and I guess that made the film predictable. It is indeed a very intense, suspenseful film that was brilliantly made.
It is set in Charlestown, a neighbourhood in Boston, Massachusetts which follows a heist, professional thief Doug MacRay (Affleck) who keeps tabs on bank manager Claire Keesey (Hall), the only witness who could identify MacRay’s gang. As the couple slowly fall for each other and FBI agent Adam Frawley (Hamm) closes in on him, McCray begins to question the life he leads. Ben Affleck is usually an actor who gets a lot of negative criticism in his performances but I think for the first time in his career, he actually gave an awesome performance and it is a damn shame he never gave us a performance like this earlier in his career. Rebecca Hall's performance as Claire Keesey was really moving! As far as I'm concerned, she deserves an Oscar nomination because her performance does show what heartbreak does to you and also she expresses how scary the world can be to some people who have been deeply effected by the people in it. Jeremy Renner was awesome too! He really is becoming an actor to be reckoned with. His performance in The Town was, in my opinion, as awesome in The Hurt Locker.
Ben Affleck, you may be an overall crap actor but damn, you are a great director! His previous film as director Gone Baby Gone was pretty good anyway but I do think that The Town surpassed everything that Gone Baby Gone had. Ben, you really have shown us now when you're at the top of your game and you deserve it this time. Despite Ben Affleck is perhaps a very overrated actor, he is an underrated director. I have almost always given full credit to directors who are playing in the leading role as well but Ben Affleck and The Town has been an ultimate surprise to me. The action scenes were brilliantly filmed and it wasn't overloaded with explosions! It was just suspenseful excitement. The screenplay of The Town was by Ben Affleck, Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard and it was awesome! Affleck has earned screenplay glory previously by winning the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award with Matt Damon on Good Will Hunting.
Overall, The Town is an awesome crime drama that is one of the best films of 2010 so far. I like to think of it like a mixed combination of The Dark Knight, Heat and Training Day. Affleck, keep bringing us these films seeing as we finally know when you are at your best. Highly recommended!
9/10
