The Town

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Following up assured, emotionally charged debut Gone Baby Gone with something decidedly more conventional, but no less impressive, Ben Affleck not only proves once more that he has genuine chops as a helmer, but gives his best performance to date under his own direction. Along the way he has bagged a star heavy supporting cast, who all offer subdued, but equally well played turns in this cracking heist movie.

Set in the working class Boston suburb, Charlestown, where - a pre-credits intro informs us - more bank robbers and armoured car thieves have spawned from than anywhere else in the world. The film centres on Ben Affleck's career thief, Doug MacRay, who plans and executes a daring robbery with three cohorts, including childhood friend James (a marvellously edgy Renner); during the heist the efficient team take a hostage, bank employee Claire (Hall), as collateral. Letting her go unharmed, they soon realise that she lives just a few blocks away from them. With Jon Hamm's determined FBI Agent also on their tail, Doug gets closer to Claire to see if she knows anything, but ends up falling for her. As James becoming increasingly desperate, Doug can only keep his fledging relationship from the group, and the FBI, for so long.

Whilst comparisons with other cop/criminal movie Heat, and Boston set thriller The Departed are inevitable, Affleck's film doesn't offer the depth and scope of the former, or visceral violence of the latter. His film is closer in execution to that of the work of other famous actor/director Clint Eastwood - being that he knows how to tell a good story, but does so in a considerably swift manner, with impressive shoot-outs. On the negative side of such brisk pacing is the lack of depth given to peripheral characters. Hamm's cop is no Vincent Hanna, nor is he meant to be; he has a tunnel vision view on delivering justice, and sufficiently loose moral boundaries. Hamm has a lot of fun with the role, and is a great foil for Affleck's wily MacRay. We just don't see the man outside of his work.

One scene between Affleck and his incarcerated father (memorably played by Chris Cooper) may be the best acting work the Good Willing Hunting star has ever done. So much about Doug's background and motivations are revealed in precious screen minutes - his failure to fufil early promise as a hockey player, his turning to crime - with a simple, but superbly played exchange between the two men. There's an underlining pain in Affleck's face, his sprained demeanour, that offers more worth than any flashback ever could. Later in the film when he has a more sinister confrontation, the resulting emotional impact of that scene is fully realised and devastating.

The mean streets of working class Boston are once again portrayed with a grittiness and authenticity by a director who obviously knows them well. A thoroughly engaging and tense flick.