The Town

Directed by Ben Affleck

(R)

***

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Ben Affleck proves he’s no one-hit director with The Town, said Justin Chang in Variety. The actor, who made his behind-the-camera debut with the tense Gone Baby Gone, advances his art further, with “another potent, serious-minded slice of pulp set on Boston’s mean streets.” Affleck also steps into the leading role, as the ill-at-ease head of a heist ring, said Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly. After falling in love with the hostage (Rebecca Hall) whom the group took during its last bank job, he comes into conflict with his crew—especially the volatile pal played by The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner. Exploring the “mess of entanglements” that keeps the main character from achieving redemption, Affleck the director shows a true feel for “atmospheric grit and the collision of urban law, order, and disorder.” Only at the end does Affleck lose his grip, said Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. The over-the-top climax ruins the film’s emotional and narrative credibility—which is a shame, as the rest of The Town proves just how good a filmmaker Affleck can be.