The Town (2010)

With the tough Boston neighborhood as its backdrop, 'The Town' delivers a very powerful crime thriller. It is a great ensemble piece with an all-around excellent cast. I was impressed with Affleck's directing in this movie. I got much more than the average bank heist movie that I was expecting to see. Maybe he can get a pass for giving himself the best role and having the same expression throughout the entire movie. Yet again, Jeremy Renner delivers another amazing intense performance. He is one of those special actors who can make any role his own. The film centers around two close childhood friends born into a tough neighborhood known for producing bank robbers. Tensions rise when Affleck's character seeks to leave behind the criminal business and start fresh with a girl (Rebecca Hall). With each job bringing more heat from the FBI, time is running out for Affleck to make his departure before it is too late. There's plenty of tension, action and drama packed into this movie for everyone to enjoy. While it is better than the average crime thriller, it just didn't have that extra juice to put it into the same class with the greats like 'Goodfellas' and 'The Departed'. Maybe that's asking too much? That's what you get for being better than average. Overall, 'The Town' is definitely worth your time. Go see for yourself and see if you agree with my assessment.

IMDB-8/10

Metascore-74/100

Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 94% Audience-84%

Yong's Rating- 3 1/2 out of 5 stars