THE TOWN

The Town in this story is what the locals call Charlestown a neighborhood in Boston that we are told in the opening moments of this film has given birth to more bank robbers than anywhere else in the world.  And this is where Doug MacRay, a second generation bank robber, runs his 4 man gang who meticulously plan their jobs to avoid any possibility of being caught.  They are very suceessful  and all is going well until one job, when Jem, a really loose cannon in the gang, breaks their own code of conduct and takes Claire, a  Bank Manager,  hostage.  They later release her unharmed but Doug tracks her down and gradually gets to know her,  and after that life is never really the same again for him.  Clare opens his mind to the possibility of a life beyond crime … almost enough … and maybe he will stop after this one last big job.

Now normally movies of this genre just do not do it for me but this one was very different;  totally superb and really justified me straying out of my comfort zone. It was directed, co-written and co-produced by Ben Affleck … who also starred in it to … and I had been so impressed with his recent directing debut ‘Gone Baby Gone’ another crime film set in the streets of Boston.  Secondly a superb cast that included Jon Hamm (Mad Men’s Don Draper) as an FBI Agent, the wonderful Rebecca Hall as Claire, the indefatigable Pete Postlewaite (who sadly passed away today and will be sorely missed,) Chris Cooper as Doug’s tough Dad.  But best of all the was the amazing Jeremy Renner who as scary Jem, proved that his Oscar nominated turn in ‘The Hurt Locker’ last year was no accident at all.

And dare I say it without being embarrased, but I even loved the manic car chase that precariously spun out of control around some of Boston’s prettier streets!

Its fast, great characters, intriguing plot, well written, brillantly acted  …….. not the least bit bloody, and enormous fun.