The Town (2010) R

Ben Affleck is back in the directors chair for the first time since 2007's Gone Baby Gone. Although The Town may not be nominated for an Oscar like that film was, this film is better. Affleck (State of Play, Extract) plays Doug MacRay, a big time thief and bank robber. He runs a four-man team, which consists of Jim Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Gloansy (Slaine), and Desmond (Owen Burke). Renner (The Hurt Locker, 28 Weeks Later) is fantastic as usual, and will be a force for many years to come. Every time he's on the screen, he will have your attention.

To open the film, they hit a bank. They wear skeleton masks for this job and it's a fantastic scene. Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Red Riding: 1974) is a bank employee. She opens the safe for them, but also trips the alarm. So, they're only able to get a few hundred thousand dollars. Jim is irate that the alarm was tripped and wants to know who did it. No one confesses, so he bashes a mans skull in and holds Claire Keesey (Hall) hostage. They drive her around Boston and let her walk blindfolded onto the beach. They keep an eye on her for a few days, to make sure she doesn't know anything.

Doug volunteers to keep an eye on Claire and eventually meets her and they become friends. They begin a relationship, but Jim finds out about it. He wants her dead and gone, but Doug wants out of the game once and for all. His father Stephen (Chris Cooper) is in prison and Doug asks him for advice. Stephen thinks it's a bad idea to leave and that he should stick to what he knows best, robbing banks.

The FBI begins to investigate the robbery, as well as other robberies the gang has done. Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) heads up the investigation, along with his right hand man Dino (Titus Welliver). It doesn't take long to link the robberies to the four men. But they don't have sufficient evidence yet. Doug, Jim and the others take their orders from Fergus (Pete Postlethwaite), a seemingly harmless floral shop owner, with a mean streak.

Jim's sister Krista (Blake Lively) has had an open relationship with Doug since they were kids. She doesn't want to see Doug leave town either. She will do anything for him. Another robbery opportunity arrives from Fergus and they take it. Doug says it's his last job. They wear nun masks and costumes this time. They take down an armored truck, but things go south when they are forced to kill a guard. Police arrive on the scene and an extremely good car chase ensues. They escape, but it's too close for comfort. All four men are brought in for questioning, but the FBI still has nothing on them.

Fergus wants them to do the job of the century at Fenway Park. Over 3 million dollars is at stake. Doug doesn't want in, but Fergus threatens to kill Claire if he doesn't do it. Meanwhile, Special Agent Frawley breaks the news to Claire that Doug is in fact the man who took her hostage. He has some explaining to do, but she won't see him just yet. He claims he has changed.

Everything is on the line when they arrive at Fenway Park. Krista learns about Doug's relationship with Claire, so she tips the police about the robbery in progress. Everything is on the line for Doug and Jim. Can they escape one last time or will they go down in a blaze of glory?

There isn't a bad performance in this film. Affleck's writing, directing, and to some people's astonishment his acting, is all top notch. Renner is phenomenal. Hamm (Mad Men, The Day the Earth Stood Still), Lively (Accepted, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), Cooper (American Beauty, Adaptation.), Postlethwaite (Clash of the Titans, The Lost World: Jurassic Park), and Hall are all working at a very high level. There are a few plot holes, like most films, but the action and the dialogue is just too good to keep it down. This is Affleck's crowning achievement. The ending is a little sappy, but it doesn't ruin anything. For the love of God, see this film. Please don't waste your time on Resident Evil 4, Takers, or Alpha and Omega. See The Town! You will not be disappointed.
B+