The Town

"The Town", starring Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner, is part action/heist flick, part serious drama, and all heart.  Affleck (in his sophomore directing effort) plays Doug, a blue-collar working stiff from Charlestown, Massachusetts, the bank-robber breeding capital of the world.  Doug and his best friend Jim (Renner) have made quite a career of knocking over armored trucks and banks - that is until Doug kidnaps Claire (Rebecca Hall), the bank manager of their latest burglary.  Soon the two are falling for each other and Doug starts questioning his line of work.  Meanwhile, their crew has major heat on their backs from the feds, led by FBI special agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm).  With cops on their tail and a spurned ex-girlfriend (Blake Lively from TV's "Gossip Girl") willing to talk, it seems unlikely that Doug and Claire will have a happily ever after.  It's the oldest story in the bank heist book: One more job, one major score that will set them up for life, and then they're out, for good this time.  Even though you pretty much know how the story will end, it still feels fresh like you're hearing it for the first time, and the suspense as you follow these characters through car chases and shoot-outs is palpable.  Affleck, who garnered critical praise for his 2007 directing debut "Gone Baby Gone", proves with this film that he isn't a one-trick pony.  The action is fast-paced and intensely realistic, and the nearly impossible chases down Boston's narrow streets make it all the more exciting.  Renner is solid as Doug's right-hand man and makes townie Jim a likable and relatable criminal.  Hamm and Hall are also fantastic in their supporting roles and round out the all-star cast.  "The Town" doesn't tread on too much new territory, but it does tell an intricately thrilling story that has you rooting for the so-called bad guys and loving it.

4 out of 5 stars