The Town

It is more than obvious that this is Affleck looking up in awe at Mann’s Heat. And it is already clear that he definitely has the talent to film a similar, timeless masterpiece. The Town is not yet that masterpiece, not even in the extended version (I haven’t seen the regular one, but I certainly wouldn’t cut even a minute off the longer one). For that this is too much of a Heat beta version 0.5, but... But this is the only negative I can think of. (12/06/2010)

A decent spectacle, but a few odd illogicalities (the hero never found out himself what happened to his mother), clichés and an overly fairytale ending hurt it somewhat in my eyes. I liked Gone Baby Gone a lot more, and above all it was a film I had to think about for a long time. The Town has nowhere near that impact. But Ben Affleck is a really good director, and especially when it comes to action he does a professional job. (02/08/2016)

Seen in the extended version --- I struggled with my final rating until the last minute. But I'm faaar from rating this brilliantly directed ride below average, on the grounds that it's all too idealized, predictable, emotional to the point of revulsion in places, and that Affleck "just doesn't have it in him". He delivers more than perfectly in terms of craft and if he can’t keep from some more emotionally intense and at the same time simpler moments here and there :)), what the hell. More than well shot action (the very opening ambush scene is breathtaking), proportionately developed psychology of the main characters (not too "deep" but not too simple or ridiculous), Elswit's excellent cinematography, and Affleck's thorough direction – for me it was enough. :) 90% and I'll see what I think the second time around. (01/02/2011)

Ben Affleck scored again for me, this time twice over. I can't even decide if he was better as an actor or director. The screenplay is admittedly corny a few times and not brimming with originality, but I still enjoyed it. I gobbled this film up from beginning to end. The action was spread out evenly and because of that there was no time for boredom. The dramatic scenes were not needlessly thrown in and the dialogue was believable enough. Additionally, I was pleased with Blake Lively's minor role and the impressive music throughout. A very strong 4 stars. (09/09/2011)

The similarity of the plot with Heat bothered me. Otherwise, The Town is a film that needs to mature a bit, just like its more famous predecessors. Heist crime is a genre that cannot be devoured like candy and watched every Saturday throughout the first year, everything needs to be “felt” somehow. And the bluish camera filters, the behaviour of the main characters, the sense of their actions, as well as the weapons, the “mafia sector”, and other things around – they are directly tied to the time when the film was made, and only with the passage of time and the addition of a bit of sentiment and perspective can one truly enjoy it. Right now, The Town is somewhat similar to a young wine, immature somehow. It is a classic story, but Ben Affleck has heart and it shows in every other shot. As a film, The Town is well executed, the action is gripping, and the catharsis is not lacking either. And do people know, or foresee, how it will all end? Can we have a variation in such a laid-out film that we haven't seen somewhere else already? Right now, I think we have exhausted almost everything. Don’t expect something original, better focus on other qualities in the given genre, and this film undoubtedly has them. (12/24/2010)