I, like most of the world, have never been much of a fan of Ben Affleck. The man had great start through talented independant filmmakers such as Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith and Gus Van Sant, in the latter winning an Academy Award with his bosum buddy Matt Damon for writing Good Will Hunting. However it was the next year that began a great downfall, being consumed by the world of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer, first with Armageddon, then even worse the 3 hour torture device that is Pearl Harbour. It seems Affleck to surcomed to the Hollywood system, branching every type of money making films, from the superhero movie, action movie, sci-fi, the romantic comedy, one of the worst movies of all time (yes, it is Gigli). With a highly publicised relationship with J-Lo, Affleck seemed to be just another star in Hollywood, but not an actor.
Then, around 2004/2005, around the time the film Surviving Christmas was released (if you watch, the effect is the same as in the film Scanners), Affleck disappeared, he stopped the Hollywood star train, and waited at the platform, he did what a smart artist should with a career like his, he re-assessed his career, and got on the next train, the career revival train!
If you look at his career from 2006-onwards, you can see a steady decrease of Hollywood star fare, although its still around in the form of He’s Just Not That Into You (you gotta make money somehow right?), and an increase in quality projects, such as his underrated turn as the late-Superman actor George Reeves in Hollywoodland. He also made another surprisingly smart career move, into direction. If you said that Affleck was going to direct a film in 2006, the idea is laughable, considering the company he kept in the earlier portion of the decade.
Then in 2007, he released Gone Baby Gone, a film about a child going missing in Boston, and the private detective (his brother Casey Affleck) who vowed the awful mother to get her back, only to uncover a world of corruption and a grey area in what is considered to be the “right thing”. The film was a surprise critical hit, and rightly so, its a damn good movie, with a tense, multi-layered story with excellent performances from its eclectic cast, which included on top of his brother Casey, Ed Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Ryan (who was Oscar nominated, and rightly so) and God himself, Morgan Freeman. It proved the man was not lost, but rather, reborn in the eyes of the world.
Now, in 2010, he returns to the directors chair, directing himself in The Town.
The film invites us into Charlestown, Boston, which apparently produces more robbers than anywhere else in the world, and follows a group of four friends/robbers: Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), James “Jem” Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Albert “Gloansy” Magloan (Slaine), and Desmond “Dez” Elden (Owen Burke) who rob a bank, taking bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage. Following her release, Doug follows her to return her license, only to strike up a relationship, not knowing of his profession. It is complicated moreso by the efforts of the FBI lead by Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), who is hot on their tail.
The film is nothing completely new, and can be seen as a mix of Michael Mann’s 1995 epic heist masterpiece Heat, Martin Scorsese’s 2007 Best Picture Winning Boston crime drama The Departed with a hint of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 high octane surfer bank robber flick Point Break, all of which give the film some predictability, MacRay is almost the same as Robert De Niro’s Neil McCaulley in Heat, good at heists/becoming weary of his criminality/wanting to go straight and escape. And if you have a well-tune filmic sense, you know how it will all end, you know what will happen to the characters.
That aspect does NOT completely hinder the film, purely because it is an entertaining film, with some great action and excellent performances.
Affleck shows that he has a talent for directing, and im sure uses the film as an exercise in something more marketable yet with quality getting some very solid performances out of his actors and himself. His MacRay is one of his most layered performances of his career, its as if he uses the film to continue the story of his Good Will Hunting character Chuckie, what had happened following Damon’s Will’s departure from Boston, and it is effective, you root for him.
Affleck shows he has an eye for talent as well, with excellent performances from The Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner, who plays the Joe Pesci of the piece, loose cannon, unforgivingly violent, but also wingman. He shows his worth as an actor with range and talent. Rebecca Hall also continues her run of quality, as the damaged bank clerk with a somewhat bleak outlook on life, and creates some great chemestry with Affleck.
Also good is Mad Men star Jon Hamm, showing the makings of an excellent leading man in cinema. Its nice to see him off the TV and on the big screen, showing another side to his acting abilities. He too creates a great layered character in Fawley, a man who is on the side of good, yet has the ability to slimely use his intellect to catch the thief, for example the bar scene with Blake Lively’s Krista, to which he slides from making a pass to interrogation in almost one smooth movement.
There are also some great small parts with some seasoned actors, namely Chris Cooper as MacRay’s no-good father in prison, who gets one scene, but hits it out the ball park. And Pete Postlethwaite is slimey and imposing as MacRay’s boss Fergie “the flourist”.
It has to be mentioned that again, one of Afflecks biggest strengths is his knowledge/love of Boston, and creates the world with excellent detail like within Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone. Without it, the film could have easily become not as effective and almost completely lacking in unique quality.
In the end, its proof of filmmaking ability and it will be interesting to see what Affleck can do “without” Boston, to truely show his range. For now its two quality films from two, and we can hope this career rebirth continues its quality.
4/5
