An unforgiving "Town"

Ben Affleck, our favorite Boston-product actor (or is it second favorite? Matt Damon anyone?) has moved on to acting AND directing, this time churning out his second Boston-based movie “The Town.” His first, “Gone Baby Gone,” in which his younger brother Casey starred, was based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, who happened to write the book-turned-movie “Mystic River,” another movie based in Boston (but directed by Oscar-winner and Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood).

This movie takes on one of my favorite genres, the ever-exciting heist film. It’s easy to call this movie a blend of the classic “Heat” and “The Departed” (which won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars in 2006), and rightfully so because it’s a gritty crime movie based in Boston, with some epic shootouts and bank robberies, a la “Heat.”

Whereas “The Departed” takes place in the Boston neighborhood Southie, “The Town” takes place in Charlestown, a similar blue-collar area that boasts, at least in text at the beginning of the film, of virtually acting as a breeding ground for bank robbers.

Four residents of the neighborhood, Doug (Affleck), Jem (Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”), Gloansy (George Carroll) and Dez (Owen Burke) take the moniker to heart and rob a Cambridge bank, taking along bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage. They let her go unharmed, but realize she lives near by, prompting Jem to encourage someone to “have a chat” with the witness.

Subsequent interviews with witnesses and an examination of the bank by FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”) reveal the thorough, professional job done by the four friends in robbing the bank. Frawley is quickly onto the guys, but doesn’t have enough for a case.

Doug decides to “talk” to the witness, and ends up doing so — but falling for her. He’s got to balance hiding her from her his buddies and continuing his “day job” as a bank robber. And he visits his dad Stephen (Chris Cooper), who’s serving his own very long prison sentence for a bank robbery. Don’t forget the old-school Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite), a florist who has his fingers in some sticky business. It’s a tough line to toe for Doug, who seems to want to leave “the town” in his rearview mirror.

The plot is fairly original, but clearly draws from a wide-range of other films, namely “Heat” and “The Departed.” It’s a great mix that combines a love story, intense crime and chase scenes, plenty of violence and some edge-of-your-seat action. There’s an awesome scene at Fenway Park, which is cool for a baseball fan like me. The only thing missing is a role for our buddy Damon, who’s nowhere to be found in Affleck’s Charlestown.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some Oscar nominations for the film, in acting, directing or maybe even Best Picture categories. The “Bawstan” accent can be a little thick, so if you rent from Crazy Mike’s, you might want to turn on the subtitles to pick up the fast-paced dialogue. Renner and Affleck are great and so is the overall flick.

“The Town” is rated R for violence, blood, guns and shootouts, as well as profanity and some sexual content. Another film not recommended for the kiddies. Overall, 8 out of 10 stars.

Here's the trailer:

Lots of baggage in 'The Hurt Locker'

Lots of films, both documentary and fiction, have been made about the still ongoing conflict in Iraq. I have seen many of these, but as a few film critics have said, "The Hurt Locker" may be the best and most realistic of the bunch, and I'd probably have to agree. The film has a great sense of authenticity, as it was shot in Jordan and Kuwait, sometimes mere miles from the Iraqi border. This, and the use of Middle Eastern refugees for certain scenes, make the audience feel like they are there. I also saw this film at a screening in Washington, D.C. before it came out, and seeing it again on DVD only cemented my sentiment that this is a great movie.

The film follows the travails of an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in Iraq during 2004 (this is not a documentary). The three man team is led by William James (Jeremy Renner), a newcomer to the squad after the original team leader was killed. Rounding up the group is J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty). When we meet them, the team has about 40 days left in their tour in Iraq. Sanborn and Eldridge take exception to James's brash, unorthodox ways of working, but can't do much because he is the leader. Sanborn is a good soldier, but likes to run operations by the book and with a lot of communication. Eldridge has stress issues, and seems to be out of his element and unsure of how to respond to battlefield situations. Each characters different personality creates an interesting dynamic as the crew tries to make it through their tour disabling IEDs and participating in one of the most dangerous units in the Army.

The realism is enhanced by slow motion shots and first-person shots, artfully directed by Kathryn Bigelow. That, the realistic personalities of all the characters (helped by great acting) and the filming on location in Jordan make this seem like the real deal. The other thing about this film is that it is an action-packed thriller, as you can expect with a movie about a bomb squad. Each scene has suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat, giving you the feeling that these soldiers must have while being constantly on edge in a war zone. It's hard to convey the feeling of roadside bombs and insurgents, yet this film, through its 2 hour plus run time, does. It also brings up a lot of questions, which make discussing the film after watching it all the more interesting. My favorite scene is a desert battle scene that is slow but well shot and extremely intense. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"The Hurt Locker" is rated R for wartime violence, language and some gore.

8 out of 10 stars