I don’t really dig crime-dramas all that much. They’re usually rentals for me. My pal Joey wanted to see Ben Affleck’s The Town, so I decided, "why not".
Wow, I’m glad I saw it on the big screen.

Based on the Chuck Hogan novel "Prince of Thieves", The Town focuses on four Charlestown bank robbers led by Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. Affleck co-wrote the adaptation with Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard. He also directed, and did a great job. His last directing job, Gone Baby Gone was a smaller film. Here he shows a lot of growth as a director, handling some big action scenes.

Affleck and Renner are excellent in their roles. Both are very intense and very believable and they have a good chemistry playing two friends that are practically family. Rebecca Hall plays a bank employee who gets to know Affleck, and she is very good too. Jon Hamm plays an FBI agent who along with detective Titus Welliver is trying to find the thieves behind the robbery.
Blake Lively is also very impressive as Affleck’s longtime on again off again girlfriend. I’ve never watched her show Gossip Girl, but she definitely earned my respect here.

The Town is an intense, well acted drama. I truly can’t think of any flaws at all. I recommend it highly.