Why
is it that I’ve just seen a movie directed, co-written by and starring
Ben Affleck and all I can think about is Jeremy Renner? Maybe it’s
because Renner’s performance in The Town reminded me so much of my
favourite actor, James Cagney in his breakout role in 1931’s The Public
Enemy, with Renner portraying his character, the similarly named James "Jem"
Coughlin, as a snarling, feral piece of psychosis with the same all-in
ferocity that Cagney had generations before.
The
Town is a cops and robbers actioner set all around a Boston that only
someone who clearly had a deep familiarity with both the geography and
its natives could conjure. The clannishness amongst the lower middle
class denizens of Charlestown, MA -- a.k.a. the “Townies”-- and their
pride in both their Irish heritage and occasional feats of lawlessness
is displayed perfectly. Between the accent and associations so specific
to this set of people one wonders if we haven’t stumbled into a
different world altogether or at least an unofficial outpost of Eire.
It’s such a thorough depiction that producers felt the need to insert a
disclaimer at the end of the film informing the audience that not
everyone from Charlestown is a criminal. Phew, glad they cleared that
up, saves me trying to get a refund on my Fung Wah ticket to Boston.
The
PSA is a bookend to the opening setup wherein we learn that Charlestown
has more bank robberies than anywhere else in the country. One gang of
thieves includes mastermind Doug MacRay, who like every one of his
associates has done time and hails from the same dysfunctional circle as
all his friends. The Fagin to this overgrown Oliver Twist is Fergie,
owner of the local florist shop, who sets up heists and provides all
sorts of illegal vices for the neighbourhood. The first job we see
Doug’s crew pull seems to go like clockwork until his best running
buddy, Jem begins to enjoy having a room full of hostages at his command
too much, kidnapping one bank employee as a potential human shield after
beating her boss into a coma with the butt of his AK-47. Up until this
point, cash was always the main goal for the gang, not killing; so when
the released hostage is understood to be a nearer threat than they first
imagined, Doug investigates her personally, in part to find out how much
she knows about her masked captors and also to keep Jem from murdering
her. Claire, the traumatised bank manager is thrilled to have such an
attentive new friend who’s so eager to listen to stories about that
nightmarish day and her kindly nature is like an oasis to Doug, who only
had Jem’s strung-out sister to look forward to and a bitter, locked-up
dad as family. Unfortunately for the two new lovers, as in any tight
knit community, secrets don’t stay hidden for long in Charlestown and
Jem and Fergie both find out about Claire, who now provides the leverage
Fergie needs to lure Doug into one last hold-up. This time the plan is
to lift the concessions takings of “the cathedral of Boston,” Fenway
Park. All this mishigoss while Jem exhibits more and more annoying
homicidal tendencies and the police breathing down all their necks,
keeping Doug from any type of happiness or a new start at life outside
of Charlestown.
Sharp,
funny and action packed, The Town is a shoot-em-up thrill. Ben Affleck
balances all the elements perfectly; his bank robbers’ caper, his
character study of this hardscrabble bunch of scofflaws and
edge-of-your-seat action sequences. The last two of these are
exemplary. Affleck and his fellow writers, Peter Craig and Aaron
Stockard adapt Chuck Hogan’s story, Prince of Thieves into a wonderful
depiction of the bonds that tie those in this tough neighbourhood
together to the point of strangulation. Action scenes, like the
white-knuckled car chase make brilliant use of Boston’s winding narrow
roads in the same breakneck way 1968’s Bullitt did with the steep hills
of San Francisco. Affleck assembles an almost perfect cast, including
the luminous and intelligent Rebecca Hall as Doug’s endangered
ladylove. Chris Cooper in permanent stoic scowl as Doug’s incarcerated
father, Blake Lively as the junkie single mother pining for Doug, her
suspected babydaddy, and Pete Postlethwaite reptilian and deadly as the
neighbourhood overlord who’s had more to do with the gang’s lives than
most of them suspect, are all excellent. This may be Ben Affleck’s best
role to date and he’s aware of the stakes, giving himself not only the
lead role, but a Will Smith-type beefcake interlude, bare-chested and
showing off his personal trainer’s hard work. I’ve always been of the
opinion that Affleck did his best work as a supporting player and while
he’s very good here, this movie is all about Renner.
The
one clunky note in the cast is the choice of Jon Hamm as our white hat.
I’ve not seen the cable series Mad Men though I’m told it’s wonderful,
but Hamm’s lack of any presence or authority as the detective after
Doug’s gang show why he’s made for television; he was utterly adrift on
the big screen. Reading from an astute script filled with wry gallows
humour, his lines fell completely flat nearly every time. He was so
wooden and out of place compared to the rest of the excellent cast, his
scenes could’ve been used in a comedy sketch about male models who
suddenly decide they want to act. His partner, played by veteran
character actor, Titus Welliver has more heft and threat in one eyebrow
lift than the miscast Hamm does at any time during this film. Thank
goodness his character isn’t given enough face time to plug up the good
works everywhere else.
The
Town is a worthy entry into the pantheon of great cops and robbers
films. It’s intelligent, darkly funny and full of harrowing, high-impact
thrills. The film is not only a breath of life into the inconstant
career of Ben Affleck, but confirmation of Jeremy Renner’s stardom.
~ The
Lady Miz Diva
Sept.
17th, 2010
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