Going to Town

I was a fan of Ben Affleck's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. (In fact, since first seeing it in theaters, I've watched it again on DVD and decided it probably will be a "top 100" contender by the time I've finished remaking the list.) So I was curious to see what he'd done with his latest film, The Town. It's another story set in Boston, about bank robbers being pursued by a federal agent.

This time out, Affleck chose to wear other hats as well, working with other writers on the screenplay, and taking the lead role. This kind of multitasking didn't detract from the best things he proved about his directing in his previous film. He's very clearly good with actors.

The cast of this movie is very strong. Jeremy Renner is effectively menacing as the most violent hothead in the group, while Jon Hamm makes for a good adversary (though technically, he's the "good guy") as the agent trying to catch the team. And Ben Affleck the director doesn't let Ben Affleck the actor get away with giving less than the rest of the cast.

But the story just isn't as solid as Gone Baby Gone. Like that movie, this one wants to play around in moral gray areas, but isn't at all thought provoking, or even that ambiguous. The main character is supposed to find himself pulled between wanting to stay true to his friends, but also wanting to quit and start a new life. The pull of the latter is clearly outlined in the film. But the old friends don't seem to exert much of a pull at all. We're told about much more than shown the relationship between them, and the case to stand by them just doesn't seem very strong.

There's also an odd romantic plot in the film. I can't decide if it's a subplot or if it's supposed to be the main plot, and all the robbery incidental. In either case, the two don't blend together so well most of the time. Each of the separate "movies" plays well on its own, but doesn't interplay with the whole so smoothly.

But I think the weaknesses are really just in the script. I'd still be there opening weekend to see the next film Ben Affleck directs. This one I'd call a B-, which still isn't bad.