Venice Film Festival
Many actors-turned-directors use their outings behind the camera to express something of themselves that they feel hasn’t been enabled by the filmmakers they’ve worked with thus far: personal passions or preoccupations, social or political responsibilities, alternative thespian workout plans or simply a craven desire for awards they haven’t been able to win on their day job.
Ben Affleck, however, is not drawn by any of these urges. Ben Affleck just wants to make movies. And with his sophomore feature “The Town” – a crisp, grown-up, tangily written thriller one might call “conventional” if studio entertainments this efficient weren’t so hard to come by these days – he further proves that he can make very good ones indeed.
Affleck’s directorial debut “Gone Baby Gone,” a solid Dennis Lehane adaptation with a fluffed denouement, arguably received a mite more praise than it warranted due to general surprise at the sheer professionalism on display. “The Town” is a more followed-through genre effort with fewer artsy flourishes, but is perhaps destined to be underrated instead by critics expecting Affleck to develop more of an auteur’s ambition.
The truth is that Affleck the director and Affleck the actor are markedly similar in personality: the cool control he exerts over the material here mirrors the firm, unflustered intelligence he has long projected on screen, and seems equally liable to accusations of blandness. Look closer, however, and there’s wit and precision in his shooting style, and a secure sense of community among his excellent ensemble that doesn’t come merely from inviting a gaggle of terrific actors to a single set; Clint Eastwood could make this very film and receive substantially more credit for it.
Unlike his debut, “The Town” finds Affleck confident enough to direct himself, and the result is a happy fusion of the aforementioned personalities: he’s in robust, unaffected form as Doug MacRay, a blue-collar Massachusetts laborer turned bank robber who falls for the hostage (Rebecca Hall) his crew kidnap and eventually release during a high-stakes heist. She remains unaware of his identity as he continues to romance her, a state of ignorance compromised as Jon Hamm’s unflappable FBI agent zeroes in on MacRay and his reckless sidekick Jem (Jeremy Renner).
Based on Chuck Hogan’s novel, this is the stuff of ripe Hollywood crime melodrama of the 1940s, but Affleck keeps the tone brisk and the focus human; we know roughly where the characters are heading, but there’s value and occasional surprise in getting acquainted with them just the same. No performance goes wasted amid the ensemble: if Renner and Hamm are standouts (the latter particularly relishing his pithy, casually threatening one-liners), less generous roles for the likes of Blake Lively and Chris Cooper are filled out with equal care and conviction.
It’s tempting to make more of a case for “The Town” than it possibly merits after a summer that has seen much of Hollywood’s output make this strain of supposedly easy filmmaking look very difficult, and Affleck still has a couple of idle stylistic tics he needs to shake. But there’s much to be said for getting the job done, and not in a manner that implies haste or indifference as to the final product: with this old-fashioned and only notionally ordinary crowdpleaser, Ben Affleck demonstrates that he has the smarts and the wherewithal to make far loftier successes should he so wish – but right now, he knows where he’s needed.
[Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures]
Comments
25 responses to “SHORT TAKE: “The Town” (***)”
In case this isn’t implicit enough in the review for some readers: no, I do not think this is an awards play.
Great review, Guy. I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t expect an awards player but I wouldn’t have been upset to see it turn into one.
One question, is Pete Postelthwaite relegated to just one scene?
There was very little wit and more than a little Kevin Smith in the shooting style and framing of Gone Baby Gone so I hope you’re right.
Affleck is armed, this time around, with P.T. Anderson’s collaborators though (Robert Elswit on cine, Dylan Tichenor on editing), as well as an excellent cast so I’m more hopeful for this film than his last.
Looks pretty solid! Looking forward to this:)
I’m really excited about this.
Curious what the stylistic tics are that Affleck still needs to shake, but I’m always loath to make you say more after such generously sized reviews, or to give up the entire mystery of the movie without just seeing it myself. So, I’ll be curious to see if I can pick them out when I check in on this.
I really liked ‘Gone Baby Gone’, but it’s greatest asset was the incredible ensemble, lead by Casey Affleck’s gripping turn and Amy Ryan’s explosive performance as the mother from hell, Ryan of course eventually making the rounds when award season rolled around.
Guy, would you say any of the performances were Oscar worthy? Or are we looking at a non-factor in every way for ‘The Town’? I was hoping that Renner might be in the running for supporting actor.
Postlethwaite is Fergie, the neighborhood mob boss guy, right? I read the book, but IMDB is being a dick and doing that thing where they don’t show some of the character names with the actor.
Great review, Guy. I was already interested in the movie, but the review makes things sound even better. Awards contender or not, the movie seems like a solid piece of fall entertainment. And anything that puts Jon Hamm in a big (and good) movie is fine by me.
McAllister: He has more than one scene, but it is a very small role.
Nick: We will discuss!
Tye-Grr: If by “Oscar-worthy,” you mean among the true five best performances of the year, then no. But if you’re asking whether they’d stand up against some of the bland performance bait that invariably finds its way into the race, then yes. But I don’t see it happening. Ask Kris, he knows more than I do!
Zack: Yes, he is.
“Many actors-turned-directors use their outings behind the camera to express something of themselves that they feel hasn’t been enabled by the filmmakers they’ve worked with thus far: personal passions or preoccupations, social or political responsibilities, alternative thespian workout plans or simply a craven desire for awards they haven’t been able to win on their day job.
Ben Affleck, however, is not drawn by any of these urges. Ben Affleck just wants to make movies.”
How do you know this? What examples are you thinking of? How do you know Ben Affleck when making this and GBG had ‘no desire for awards.’
How is Hamm in this? His last lengthy film role was Stolen w/ Josh Lucas.
Did you read the review, Fitz? It’s in there.
Saw it last night. I would probably agree with the rating but Affleck is proving himself quite adept. Studios could do worse than letting him take a stab at some of their projects.
I was toying with 3.5 stars, actually — I really do like it.
Gone Baby Gone blew me away so I’m definitely checking this out. Just go to YouTube and rewatch the scene between Casey Affleck and “Cheese” to remind yourself how great it was.
My apologies, Guy. I should have read closer.
Good to hear Hamm is good in this. If anything pithy one-liners should be second nature to him with more than three seasons of Mad Men.
This was pulled briefly this afternoon due to embargo miscommunication. Back up now, so let the conversation continue. Apologies.
Interesting to hear that Lively has care & conviction. She mostly does not on Gossip Girl.
I was a big fan of “Gone Baby Gone,” so count me excited for this one. Affleck showed that he could leave the grossly overrated “Mystic River” in the dust, as far as Lehane adaptations go.
I just think it’s funny that the ads proclaim that this film is “from the acclaimed director of Gone Baby Gone”. I wonder how many average moviegoers know who exactly that acclaimed director is?
With a phrase like that they’re selling “Gone Baby Gone” more than the director. “Hey let’s see that, I loved Gone Baby Gone.”
I liked the line about Clint Eastwood getting more praise for a movie like this than Ben Affleck will. Probably true.
Its great to think Affleck might really have a career a director. I was surprisingly impressed by Gone Baby Gone, and this certainly looks like an entertaining ride.
Just stopping by, looking for the Town reviews.. but I was struck at the civility of the tone of you guys who are commenting.
Agreements, disagreements, still you guys are nice to each other.. so refreshing and so very different from other media sites.
On topic, is there any word why we in Sweden have to wait til December to see this thing? Im not sure I can wait that long..
Sweden: Thanks, we’re glad to welcome you. Keep visiting!
International distribution schedules are a constant misery, but while I can’t answer your question, I can at least say that I empathise — I used to live in South Africa, which for a time seemed to be the last stop on any film’s tour.