The TOWN

“The TOWN” (Ben Afleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall & Jon Hamm)

The promos bragged, from ‘acclaimed’ director Ben Afleck... ‘Acclaimed’?
For one ‘okay’ film that didn’t live up to the promise of the source material? (Dennis Lehane’s “Gone Baby Gone”)
Well, I’d say acclaimed director Ben Afleck takes a bit of a step backward with his second effort. The problem is, I can’t really discuss why this film falls a little short without giving too much of it away. So here’s the set up –
Afleck plays Doug Macray, a bank robber. His best friend James (Jeremy Renner) is also a bank robber. They have two other accomplices but they weren’t very good actors so they didn’t get very many lines (One, some overweight goober calling himself ‘Slaine’ has been in 3 films – 2 of them directed by the much acclaimed Ben Afleck... wonder what he has on old Ben that he doesn’t want us to find out?)
The foursome’s M.O. is to don masks (skeletors/nuns) The electronic wiz knows how to shut down alarm systems, the chubby guy is the world’s greatest get-away driver, Doug knows how to sweet talk his way into a vault & James is the violent hothead that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone unfortunate enough to be present during one of their heists.
When a silent alarm is tripped during the film’s opening robbery, they take a hostage, bank employee Claire (Rebecca Hall)
When they make good on their escape, they release Claire but keep her driver’s license.
Doug, obviously impressed with how Claire handled herself under pressure begins stalking her under the guise of ‘making sure she doesn’t tell the cops anything that might give away their identities’. After Doug worms his way into her heart, she reveals to him a detail that she forgot to tell the police – a tattoo on the back of the neck of one of the robbers. The only time in this film that I felt anything resembling a ‘tense’ moment is when James interrupts Doug & Claire’s lunch date & Doug has to keep James from showing Claire the back of his neck.
Jon Hamm plays FBI Special Agent Frawley who both hunts down the criminals as well as connects Claire to Macray. He’s serviceable. Meaning, I have no complaints, but neither did he do anything to stand out from any other actor to ever play a special agent for the FBI.
Chris Cooper has only one scene, but he is, as usual, flawless. Playing Doug’s imprisoned for life father he seems to care more about his relationship with the guards than he does his son. Even for a small part, Cooper immerses himself in his character – which made me wish the acclaimed director had included more scenes with Doug & his father... Perhaps the non-acclaimed actor felt intimidated by being seen onscreen with a true pro?
A big surprise was Blake Lively who plays Jim’s floozy sister Krista. True, the only exposure I’ve had of Ms. Lively is when my wife dragged (& drugged) me to see ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 – the Way the Pants Would Have Wanted It’ so I never would have thought her capable of playing a sleazy addict like Krista. When Krista jumps on Doug’s lap for a quickie & shoves her ample cleavage into his face, I wondered if she was wearing the well worn ‘traveling pants’ (obviously frayed in the crotch area) & if this was indeed the way they wanted it.
But my complaint against ‘The Town’ is the lack of ‘surprises’ – there are none. Everything plays out pretty much the way it’s set up, & to me, that made it a little dull & somewhat predictable.