Wicked good

It's funny the paths our lives take. Take Ben Affleck for instance. No one could have predicted given his track record as an actor that he would develop into the talented director that he has become. Following up on his depressing, yet well-made debut, Gone Baby Gone, Affleck shows no signs of sophomore slump with his latest The Town. Using Boston as the setting once again, Affleck creates a taut thriller about a group of bank robbers.

Unlike Ben's career, the story feels a little familiar, but the way its delivered still makes the film very effective. In many ways, The Town feels more like some of the great gangster movies like Goodfellas, than it does a heist film. The themes of greed, regret, family, and redemption are all woven into the film without any of it feeling heavy-handed.

The film begins with this group of robbers led by Affleck himself and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) nearly successfully pulling off a heist. However, when they believe the alarm has been tripped, they take one of the tellers (Rebecca Hall) with them. To ensure that she didn't see anything incriminating, Affleck's character keeps tabs on her and ends up developing feelings for her. This of course does not sit well with the rest of his crew. Renner as the hot-headed second in command does a fine job of causing trouble and consistently emitting a sense of menace. You also have actors like Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite around as old-time crooks reminding us all of where this type of life gets you.

While there are obviously a lot of somber, dialogue-heavy scenes the film is certainly not light on action. There are several action-filled scenes that are very well made. They amp up the intensity yet don't overstay their welcome. They are very realistic in their portrayal, which only adds to the tension. One of the best things about these action scenes is that they come of as satisfying without glorifying the bad guys. Unlike say the Ocean's films where you are rooting for the theives to get away with their caper, this film makes no bones about the fact that these are bad guys who deserved to be punished for their actions. It's also refreshing to see the film portray the FBI as being competent and level-headed. Mad Men's Jon Hamm leads the way as Agent Frawley.

If there's one complaint to be made about the film is that everything wraps up a little too tidy, but it's not a major deal. The film offers a satisfying enough conclusion to each of the major players in the film which is often more appealing than abiguity. Overall though, this is a well made, adult film that doesn't come off as outlandish or cartoony. As a director Affleck, who clearly knows and loves his hometown, does a great job of portraying the ins and outs of Boston and its inhabitants. I may not care for the accent or attitude displayed by its residents, but in this case it makes for a compelling film. I could even see this film be considered for a Best Picture nomination, although I think once all the contenders emerge it will likely be on the outside looking in. Credit Ben Affleck for transforming from mediocre actor to first-rate director. If he keeps making films like this, they may have to change Boston's nickname from Beantown to Bentown. Grade: B+