“I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.” —Doug
Today’s quick review: The Town. Boston native Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) heads a small crew of bank robbers with Jim Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), his violent best friend. Doug’s professional and personal lives become tangled when he falls for Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), a hostage his crew took during their last job. Meanwhile, FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) closes in on Charlestown’s most successful criminals.
The Town is a crime drama with a solid cast and an impressive script. Unlike many entries in the crime genre, The Town has characters who are competent and professional. Even when Doug and Jim butt heads over how to do a job, they never compromise their heist to squabble. For his part, Adam Frawley follows the few leads he has with remarkable persistence, culminating in a confrontation whose outcome feels earned by both sides.
The Town also invests the time to fully develop its characters and clearly establish its conflicts. Every scene serves a purpose, and even the most dialogue-heavy ones are engaging thanks to the movie’s creditable writing. The story has a great progression. Although it drops a few plot threads along the way, enough of them become important down the line to make the plot well worth following.
Watch The Town when you are in the mood for an all-around solid crime drama. Smart writing, thoughtful characterization, and just the right amount of action make The Town a satisfying watch. For another Boston-based crime drama with more tension and a more elaborate plot, check out The Departed.
7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for competent, well-rounded execution.