The Town

UK Release: 24th September 2010

Watched on LoveFilm Instant: Wednesday 27th March 2013

Rating: 15

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Runtime: 2hrs 5mins

Plot Synopsis: The Charlestown neighbourhood of Boston is renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation.  Such robbers include friends Doug MacRay (Affleck), James Coughlin (Renner) who treat each other like family since Doug's mother ran off and Doug's father, Stephen MacRay, was sent to prison. 

With no real attachments, Doug has never had to fear losing anyone close to him. But that all changed on the gang's latest job, when they briefly took bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage, before releasing her unharmed.

Claire is nervously aware that the robbers know her name... and where she lives. But she lets her guard down when she meets an unassuming and rather charming man named Doug... not realising that he is the same man who only days earlier had terrorised her. The instant attraction between them gradually turns into a passionate romance that threatens to take them both down a dangerous, and potentially deadly, path.

My Review: Crime movies may not be my thing (see Analyse This), but this one completely blew me away. I saw it come up on LoveFilm a while ago and saved it for a while until I felt like it. Well, today was the last chance to see it so I decided to start it and see what I thought. Cue 2 hours later and I hadn’t left my seat. 

This film is completely gripping, almost completely down to Ben Affleck's directing I believe, a talent Affleck replicated in recent flick Argo. The Town, though, is far grittier and darker and I absolutely loved it! I was so surprised as I had no idea what I was about to get myself in for. Not only was the plot full of twists and turns, Boston shot beautifully with fast paced editing but it had literally almost all my favourite actors in it! And I had no idea! John Hamm whom I adore in Mad Men, Blake Lively from Gossip Girl (who I barely recognised such was her stellar acting), Rebecca Hall who is one of my favourite British actresses, Jeremy Renner who was excellent in Bourne Legacy and, of course, Mr Ben Affleck himself.

I just finished watching and I’m struggling to find any faults. It really is an adrenaline ride from start to finish with enough romance to keep girls like me happy but also jam-packed with thrilling car chases, shoot-outs and Point Break which made me adore Bourne and Point Break. It’s no wonder it got the Academy’s attention with a nomination. It is definitely a must-see. Just brace yourself...

Score: 9/10