Town, The (2010) [Blu-ray]
Crime | Drama | Thriller

Extended Cut

As he plans a job that could result in his gang's biggest score ever, a longtime thief plans a way out of the life and the town while dodging the FBI agent looking to bring him and his bank-robbing crew down. In addition to heading an electrifing cast, Ben Affleck also directed and co-wrote this suspenseful, critically acclaimed crime thriller that unfolds - and often - explodesacross gritty Boston locations. Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Black Lively, Titus Welliver, Pete Postlethwaite and Chris Cooper also star.

Storyline: The Charlestown neighborhood of Boston is renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation. These robbers never leave their Charlestown life on their own volition, the neighborhood where there is an unwritten code to protect that lifestyle. Such robbers include friends Doug MacRay, James Coughlin, Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan and Desmond Elden. Doug and James in particular treat each other like family, as the Coughlins have realistically been as such to Doug since Doug's mother ran off and Doug's father, Stephen MacRay, was sent to prison. James' single mother sister, the drugged out Krista Coughlin, and Doug have a casual sexual relationship. The foursome carry out a mostly successful bank robbery, but due to circumstances take the bank manager, Claire Keesey, hostage for a short period before releasing her physically unharmed. They find out that Claire lives in Charlestown, so they want to ensure that she did not see anything that could incriminate them if they were to ever run into her. As such, Doug begins a personal relationship with her to find out what she knows and what she's told the police and the FBI, who have taken charge of the investigation. He learns that she has kept some information from the authorities for her own protection but information that could identify James in particular. But Doug slowly falls for her, as she does for him. Ultimately, Doug dreams about leaving his Charlestown life to be with Claire anywhere but there. But Doug has to try and keep his true identity from her, and keep the fact that he is seeing her from his colleagues. But leaving is not as easy as he would like as he and the gang are tasked with a big job by a local gangster named Fergie whether Doug likes it or not. And Adam Frawley, the FBI's lead investigator, comes into evidence that links the foursome to the bank robbery and a subsequent armored car heist, so is on their tail for evidence that will send them away dead or alive. Written by Huggo

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on December 11, 2010 -- If I hitched a ride in a DeLorean, traveled back to 1995, and told my stunned seventeen-year-old self that actor Ben Affleck -- Mallrats' smarmy Volkswagen aficionado -- would soon win an Academy Award for a little film called Good Will Hunting and eventually become one of the most promising filmmakers of the early 21st Century, I have a good feeling he'd laugh in my stubble-peppered face and show me the door. Yet here we are. In 1997, Affleck took home a coveted gold statue and helped Robin Williams snag one of his own. In 2007, Gone Baby Gone earned the first-time feature film writer/director tremendous acclaim, a variety of prestigious honors and, above all, a healthy dose of industry respect. And this year, with inevitable nominations still looming on the horizon, The Town has endeared itself to critics, inspired Oscar buzz, and invited fitting comparisons between Affleck and filmmaker Clint Eastwood. The future works in mysterious ways.

Based on Chuck Hogan's Hammett Prize-winning novel "Prince of Thieves," The Town is a slowburn crime thriller cut from the same cloth as Michael Mann's Heat and, unsurprisingly, Gone Baby Gone. This time though, Affleck steps in front of the camera as Doug MacRay, a clever career criminal who begins to develop feelings for a woman named Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), the manager of a bank he and his partners recently robbed. It doesn't take long for things to unravel. Doug's affection is born from guilt (never a strong foundation for a relationship), his cohort and lifelong friend (The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner) would rather tie up loose ends than allow Doug to snuggle up with a witness, a local crime boss (Pete Postlethwaite) applies even more pressure to an already volatile situation, MacRay's ex (Blake Lively) refuses to roll over and let the love of her life leave town, and Claire reveals she has information that could help the authorities identify one of her captors. Worse, FBI agents Adam Frawley (Madmen's Jon Hamm) and Dino Ciampa (Lost's Titus Welliver) are hot on the trail of the crew and closing in fast. Needless to say, Doug is forced to make some very difficult decisions.

Affleck's second film adheres to genre convention far more than his first -- The Town cues up golden-oldies like "One Last Heist," "Lovelorn Criminal," "Downtown Shootout," "Near Perfect Crime" and "The Heat is Comin' Around the Corner," among others -- but between the ensemble's award-worthy performances, Doug and his partners' heartfelt local-boys dynamic, and the director's masterfully staged heists, it hardly matters. Affleck, Renner, Hamm and Hall create characters that won't soon be forgotten, and the actors all but fade away, replaced by a cast of authentic victims of circumstance and choice struggling to fulfill whatever role life has assigned each one. Hall in particular is a heartbreaking revelation, and deserves more attention than any one writer could provide; Affleck draws quiet strength from within, all while restraining the cocksure playfulness he would have indulged ten years ago; Renner boils over to great effect, brandishing every impulse and emotion that bubbles to the surface on his blood-spattered sleeve; and Hamm provides earnest flashes of a fractured soul consumed by his work and frustrated by the isolation it brings. Not to be outdone, Affleck's supporting cast and crew eliminate any hint of a slick Hollywood production, making Affleck's crime-infested Charlestown a fully realized character in its own right.

The Town unearths layer after layer of tragedy, hopelessness and multi-generational conflict, all while Affleck and co-writers Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard strike a careful balance between the film's exhilarating heists and its somber interpersonal drama. Palpable tension pulses beneath each scene (albeit at the expense of levity), and even the most convenient plot developments are anchored to reality in one way or another. Doug and Claire don't intuitively come together; they circle at a distance, dance a hesitant dance, and retreat in insecurity, transforming what could have been a silly love story into a fascinating pairing. By the same token, Affleck and Renner could have rough-n-tumbled their way through the film's most compelling relationship, but they do the exact opposite. Theirs feels like a genuine, lifelong friendship, and their subsequent moral dilemmas seem more critical as a result. And every character, to some degree, is bound and chained to Charlestown; a home, a prison and an inescapable way of life. The Town may not be a perfect film -- comparisons to Heat are unavoidable (and, sad to say, a tad unfavorable), especially when it comes to their strikingly similar third acts -- but as a character-driven genre pic, it works incredibly well. I'm sure many of you will even include it among your top ten films of 2010. I doubt it will find its way onto my year-end list, but it isn't that far off either.

Reviewer's note: I considered outlining the differences between the 125-minute theatrical cut and 153-minute extended version of the film, but realized doing so would risk spoiling the various scenes the Extended Cut has to offer. However, the disc includes an optional feature that, when engaged, displays a small on-screen icon anytime a new scene begins, and Affleck dissects each additional scene at length in his EC commentary. For the record, I personally preferred the theatrical cut a bit more. The extended version boasts some truly great scenes (and fleshes out some of the more accelerated subplots and relationships), but a few scenes didn't work nearly as well as others. Interestingly, Affleck seems to echo similar sentiments in his audio commentary, and discusses the pros and cons of each addition at length. My advice? Watch the theatrical cut first, the extended cut soon after, and listen to Affleck's Extended Cut commentary to top off the experience. It might take a few days, but it's well worth it if you have any affection for the film itself.

Heat may be the superior cops-n-robbers genre pic and Gone Baby Gone may be the superior Affleck film, but The Town holds its own nonetheless. Its exceptional performances, mesmerizing heists, smartly penned dialogue, intriguing characters and gripping story make it one to watch this Oscar season, and one that's sure to grace many a Top Ten list this year. That being said, Warner's Blu-ray release is even better. Ignore whatever controversy may surround the disc; it offers two cuts of the film (a 125-minute theatrical cut and a 153-minute extended version), its video transfers are excellent (despite their low average bitrates), its DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are engrossing, and its supplemental package is simple but effective. I'm not one who recommends many blind-buys, but I have a feeling those who walk away disappointed with this one will be a part of a very small (but vocal) minority.

User Comment: Lord_Jerique from Windsor, Ontario, 18 September 2010 • I was wrong about Ben Affleck. I never believed that Affleck was ever a star. I never saw him as a director-type. I do admit I was wrong, though. Ben Affleck was truly incredible as Doug McCray, and I've never seen him work his acting at such a high level. As far as the plot of the film goes, it's very engaging. The trailer doesn't give this film justice as it's very intense and romantic at times.

Jeremy Renner is quite intimidating and Blake Lively is sexy, Ben Affleck is gripping and the supporting cast is incredibly powerful. I think the movie was powerful and not at all predictable. I couldn't wait to see what would happen and if Doug would get away. It's such a greatly crafted movie. From writing to acting this film is wickedly astounding.

I thought that the sex scene was over too quickly, but it was made up with all the action. I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scenes. I thought the action sequences were well-drawn out. I loved the bank robbery scenes of the blue masks and the nun outfits. I especially liked Ben's scenes with the sledge hammer and the scene where he says, "if I think anything might happen to her, I'm gonna kill both of you." It's a clip from the trailer, but it's so much better when it happens in the film.

It's driven as an action film with drama and romance on the side. There's a few chuckles along the way, but pretty much sparse. I thought the romance was done just enough and I felt the drama was perfectly done and drastically added to the plot, as well as the tone of the film.

It's certainly the best heist movie I've ever seen. In comparison, if you called Inception a heist movie, this movie is a better heist movie. I really think this is the Heat of the decade. I truly believe that Affleck is in his peek of his career and this is his greatest performance, directing, writing and acting. I'm overjoyed and excited to see his next piece of work.

Summary: I'll see you again.

[CSW] -2- .
[V4.0-A5.2] MPEG-4 AVC -D-Box 1.2/10 - D-Box intelligent vibration might have done better than the actual motion codes.

--- JOYA ---

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