The great strength of American cinema are genres and knowing that the great interpreters of these classical forms are disappearing is a great pity for all the cinephiles. Luckily, every now and then we figured out some interesting short circuits that open new scenery, just like the new directing career of an actor already bound to the Sunset Boulevard.
Ben Affleck already proved with Gone Baby Gone of being capable to handle the movie machine and this second work is a clear confirmation. The Town is a classic heist movie, but the great robbery is just a pretext to dig in the main characters’ souls and feelings of this story based in Charlestown, US bank robbery capitol, Boston ghetto where these American Irish friends live and devoted their career of honest criminals.
Affleck falls in love and wants to quit, Jeremy Renner is a psycho idealist that will die instead of being caged. A well-known story, but Affleck works quite well on this material, based upon Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves.
The Town is a solid movie
It is shot with great rhythm, excellent care for framing and at least two great scenes, deeply inspired by Friedkin and Mann. Although there are a lot of atmospheres taken by Sidney Lumet, Affleck is able to handle all these homages, creating a personal emotional catharsis facing a career that seemed over, but that was only wrongly pointed.
Very good cast, especially Renner, a truly gifted actor for whom we have to thank Kathryn Bigelow, and amazing Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite, both with few but unforgettable minutes on the scene.