Film Review: The Town

Ben Affleck made his directorial debut with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, a wonderfully twisty tale of a Boston kidnapping, punctuated by Amy Ryan's sensational Oscar-nominated performance (she was unjustly beat out by Michael Clayton's Tilda Swinton). Affleck is back behind the camera with The Town, also starring in the lead role; with this gritty action thriller, Affleck has catapulted himself back onto the A-list of the film industry, kick-starting a career that could eventually mirror the auteur work of Clint Eastwood... Yes, he's that good.

The plot follows a intertwined cast of characters through the underworld of Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston notorious for its insanely high number of bank robberies. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) and James Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) lead a team that has been executing bank heists for a long time; when James takes Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall, gorgeous and controlled) hostage after a problematic job, their intricate world starts to fall apart. The supporting cast also notably features Blake Lively as James's sister, and Doug's sometimes lover, Krista, with Jon Hamm as FBI agent Adam Frawley on the hunt for Doug and his crew.

Affleck has found his muse in Boston, featuring beautiful aerial shots of the city, and establishing a singular atmosphere over the entire picture. Affleck also deftly executes his action sequences, specifically a thrilling car chase through Boston's frighteningly narrow streets; a big scene in Fenway Park is almost unbearable taut and terrifying. As a director, Affleck displays incredible skill at building tension between his characters, reeling in the drama tighter and tighter, culminating in a rewarding and effective climax.

Affleck is good in his role, but his talent behind the camera outshines any moment of his in front of the camera. The entire ensemble cast is incredibly strong, and features some brilliant casting choices. Lively's drugged out nymphomaniac shows that the young actress can do much more than her flimsy role on the television show Gossip Girl, even if she's only given a few short scenes to. However, the real star of the film in the acting department is Jeremy Renner (nominated for an Oscar in last year's The Hurt Locker), sparking like bottled lightening. Renner's James Coughlin is wound so tight you'll be tempted to hold your breathe every time he's on screen; the audience has no idea when he'll finally let his raw aggression and rage loose. It's a frightening performance that's impossible to look away from.

The Town is leagues better than Gone Baby Gone, and while there's not one performance that explodes quite like Amy Ryan's work in the latter film, the ensemble in the former is without a weak link. While Gone Baby Gone's conclusion felt a tad forced, The Town always stays true to its tone. No plot point feels awkward. The entire film sizzles. More than anything, Affleck (who also co-wrote the screenplay, based on Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves) proves he has a big future in Hollywood; he knows when to plant nuggets of humor, moments of humanity, and thrilling action sequences. Instead of producing a stale crime drama that retreads old material, Affleck infuses something new and exciting into his honed archetypes. A-