Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • September 29, 2010 ‘The Town’ is an unromantic look at career thieves Ben Affleck (left) and Jeremy Renner star in “The Town.’ by Dennis Seuling Ben Affleck showed in “Gone, Baby, Gone” that he is proficient as a director and as an actor. His latest venture into directing, “The Town,” is an ambitious movie that combines action, gritty performances, and questions of loyalty. Made in and around Boston, it is technically a caper film, a durable sub-genre of action pictures, but takes its time building characterization along the way. Four thieves have robbed several banks and armored trucks and eluded capture, but leader Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) knows it is only a matter of time before their luck runs out. He wants out. At their last job, bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) is forced to open the vault and suffers considerable post-robbery trauma. She is interviewed by FBI Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), whose team is determined to nab the thieves. One of the team members, Jem (Jeremy Renner), has served time and has a short fuse. His temper and the FBI manhunt threaten to undermine the entire team, but it is Claire who proves to be the real danger. Since she is the one person most likely to provide the FBI with clues to the thieves’ identity, she is followed and watched by Doug. This leads to unforeseen circumstances that threaten the team and allow the authorities to make inroads into their investigation. Affleck handles the director’s reins well in “The Town,” shouldering a large-budget picture with lots of location filming in the Charlestown section of Boston. He elicits fine performances from Hall and Renner. Renner has a large showcase role here: a more volatile version of his nerves-of-steel bomb defuser in “The Hurt Locker.” As actor, Affleck portrays Doug as a nice guy with a troubled past who has essentially gone into the family business. Affleck nicely balances the tough-guy image Doug must show to his gang with vulnerability and awkward charm as he gets to know Claire. Conflicted by attraction to Claire and self-preservation, he tries to have it both ways. For the most part, Doug is shown with a sullen expression, a reflection of his tough, hardened life. Hall’s Claire serves as the moral center of “The Town.” Unlike the men in Dog’s gang, she is a decent, law-abiding citizen, and her purity touches Doug in a way that causes him to reevaluate what he does, his future, and what he really wants out of life. As the relationship develops between Claire and Doug, viewers realize this can be very dangerous for the entire quartet of robbers. Renner lights up the screen with his intensity. He truly inhabits the troubled Jem and there is always an air of danger and unpredictability about him. He is smart, cautious, and perhaps too quick on the trigger for his own good. He is reminiscent of James Cagney’s crazed Cody Jarrett in “White Heat.” Hamm’s FBI agent is a no-nonsense, unsympathetic company man who will resort to whatever means necessary to snare his prey. There is a Javert-like quality to him as he closes in on the identity of the robbers. He is cold, intelligent, unswerving in his focus, and relentless: a formidable match for Doug and his team. Director Affleck is no shirker as far as action goes. There is plenty of it in “The Town,” including a broad daylight armored car robbery, a methodical bank job, an extended car chase with guns blazing through narrow streets, and a wild shoot-out near Fenway Park. Rated R for violence and strong language, “The Town” is a solid crime drama that brings to mind the Warner Brothers gangster pictures of the 1930s and 1940s and, more recently, Michael Mann’s “Heat.” The film moves briskly, keeps viewers involved, and shakes up a triedand-true movie formula, giving it an identity all its own. 25 N. Spruce St, Ramsey Chinese Restaurant Family Dining (In the Walgreen Center - formerly Terri’s) Major Credit Cards Accepted 201-327-3232 State Line 375 State Highway 17 North, Mahwah Open 24 Hours, 7 Days Join Us For Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner The Best Got Better! ������� ���������������������� ���������������������������������������� ������������ Diner - Restaurant 201-529-3353 Dine in only Now Serving Cocktails, Espresso & Cappuccino ������������������� ��������������������� ���������� $ 00 On $10.00 and over. With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. 5:00 to 9:00 pm only. Off 1 $ 00 VT On $20.00 and over. With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. 5:00 to 9:00 pm only. Off 2 VT