Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Doug MacRay: Ben Affleck
- Claire Keesey: Rebecca Hall
- James Coughlin: Jeremy Renner
- Adam Frawley: Jon Hamm
- Krista Coughlin: Blake Lively
- Dino Ciampa: Titus Welliver
- Fergus ‘Fergie’ Colm: Pete Postlethwaite
- Albert ‘Gloansy’ Magloan: Slaine
- Desmond Elden: Owen Burke
- Stephen MacRay: Chris Cooper
- Agent Quinlan: Corena Chase
- Henry: Brian Scannell
- Derrick: Stephen Bishop
- Internal Affairs Officer at Fenway: Gary Galone
- Cedar Junction C.O.: Ted Arcidi
- Beacon G.I. Joe Driver: Michael Yebba
- Claire’s Lawyer: Jeremiah Kissel
- Neptune’s Waitress: Georgia Lyman
- FBI Agent (uncredited): Duncan B. Putney
- Assistant Bank Manager (uncredited): Victor Garber
- Runner (uncredited): London Hall
- Car Driver (uncredited): Jeff Martineau
- Inmate (uncredited): Kevin McCormick
- Inmate (uncredited): Joseph Oliveira
- Decoy Cop (uncredited): William Xifaras
- Vericom Crew Chief: Tony V.
- Boston Police (uncredited): Rich Manley
- Townie (uncredited): John Franchi
- Rusty: Dennis McLaughlin
- Henry’s Girl: Kerri Dunbar
- FBI SWAT #1: Brian A. White
- NA Speaker: Peter Looney
- Marty McGuire (uncredited): Chick Bernhard
- FBI Agent (uncredited): Nicholas Cairis
- FBI Agent Gary Clark (uncredited): Carlos Foglia
- FBI SWAT (uncredited): Jim Ford
- FBI Special Task Force Agent (uncredited): George J. Vezina
- Boston Police Officer (uncredited): Jeffrey Corazzini
- Pedestrian (uncredited): Alex East
- Pedestrian (uncredited): Chris Palermo
- Pedestrian Harvard Professor / Graduate Student (uncredited): Dan Marshall
- Sullys Kid (uncredited): Adam Masnyk
- Crime Scene Investigator (uncredited): Thomas McGowan
- CSI Officer (uncredited): Thomas Olson
- Morton Previt: Ed O’Keefe
- Featured FBI SWAT Agent: Darryl Wooten
- FBI Task Force Agent: Billy ‘V’ Vigeant
- Student: Kayla Rae Vesce
- Bar Patron: Jason Venezia
- Pedestrian: Alexander Tzavalas
- FBI SWAT #3: Phil Tavares
- Background Extra: Charlie Tacker
- Pedestrian: David Struffolino
- Corrections Officer: Rich Skinner
- FBI Task Force: Billy Silvia
- Policeman: Americo Presciutti
- Red Sox Play-by-Play Announcer: Don Orsillo
Film Crew:
- Director: Ben Affleck
- Editor: Dylan Tichenor
- Director of Photography: Robert Elswit
- Casting: Lora Kennedy
- Original Music Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
- Executive Producer: David Crockett
- Production Design: Sharon Seymour
- Producer: Graham King
- Second Unit Director of Photography: Alexander Witt
- Costume Design: Susan Matheson
- Screenplay: Aaron Stockard
- Key Makeup Artist: Trish Seeney
- Executive Producer: Thomas Tull
- Executive Producer: William Fay
- Producer: Basil Iwanyk
- Sound Effects Editor: Albert Gasser
- Stunts: Laura Albert
- Additional Soundtrack: Lili Haydn
- Screenplay: Peter Craig
- Executive Producer: John Jashni
- Original Music Composer: David Buckley
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Steve Maslow
- Set Decoration: Maggie Martin
- Art Direction: Peter Borck
- Co-Producer: Chay Carter
- Sound Effects Editor: John Joseph Thomas
- Stunts: Debbie Evans
- Special Effects: Bob Williams
- Makeup Department Head: John E. Jackson
- Costume Supervisor: Charlene Amateau
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Gregg Landaker
- Sound Effects Editor: Bryan O. Watkins
- Special Effects Supervisor: Allen Hall
- Visual Effects Coordinator: Max Leonard
- Production Supervisor: Molly Allen
- Construction Coordinator: David Rotondo
- Property Master: Don Miloyevich
- Still Photographer: Claire Folger
- Camera Operator: Colin Anderson
- Script Supervisor: Sheila Waldron
- Set Designer: George Lee
- Property Master: Douglas Fox
- Camera Operator: Joe Chess
- Supervising Sound Editor: Aaron Glascock
- Supervising Sound Editor: Curt Schulkey
- Second Unit Cinematographer: Brian Heller
- Art Department Coordinator: Denis Leining
- Location Manager: Mark Fitzgerald
- Hair Department Head: Kelvin R. Trahan
- Key Hair Stylist: Catherine Marcotte
- Hairstylist: Raul Hernandez
- Script Supervisor: Lisa Arnone
- Novel: Chuck Hogan
- Sound Mixer: David J. Schwartz
- Stunt Coordinator: Tom McComas
- Assistant Director: Donald Murphy
- Stunts: Chick Bernhard
- Digital Intermediate: Salvatore Catanzaro
- Set Costumer: Parrish Kennington
- Boom Operator: Brian Courchine
- Visual Effects Supervisor: Mohummed Yusef
- Pilot: Michael Peavey
- Makeup Artist: Marleen Alter
- Rigging Grip: David Puopolo
Movie Reviews:
- Andres Gomez: Good movie with good cast.
No new plot but well performed and entertaining.
- John Chard: You know people get up everyday, tell themselves something’s gonna change their lives.
The Town is Charlestown, Boston, a place where crime is a way of life. Following a bank robbery, professional thief Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) has to keep a watch on bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) because after using her as hostage leverage during escape from the heist, she is the only witness who could possibly identify his gang. But once the two meet they start to fall for each other, forcing MacRay to re-evaluate his life in Charlestown. It’s a re-evaluation that will upset a lot of people close to him and the gangster boss who hires him, and all this at a time when FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) is closing in on the gang.
One of the most startling things about Ben Affleck’s second film as director is that even with the conventional plot, and the formulaic characters, it’s still an exhilarating and fresh picture. With Affleck comfortable in his Boston surroundings, it’s evident that he and the team went for authenticity, something which in the main they achieve. Sure there’s the odd implausible moments, they are – like it or not – cops and robbers staples, but “The Town” is not your standard run of the mill actioner. It is, for want of pigeon holing, a modern day noir, resplendent with bleak mood and well oiled characters. Based on Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”, pic follows the formula of a rotten town with rotten people doing their best or worst to live and get by. Into the pot comes the bad guy who meets a good woman who wants to leave his crappy life and crappy home behind. So far so well trodden path, then, but this is not a giant gangland operation, like, say, “The Departed” or “The Godfather” et al, this is a small neighbourhood setting, with a small group of everyday dressed young men. It’s one of the reasons why Affleck’s film feels so very authentic.
Helping to exude the naturalistic and human feel of the drama is that Affleck doesn’t overdo his action sections, yet they are terrific sections for sure. This is not Tony Scott/Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer action for popcorn excess. From the electric kick-start of the first heist, to the mid-section car chase – and to the knock out coup de grâce set in motion at Red Sox Stadium – Affleck shows great skill as a crafter of action – aided superbly by Dylan Tichenor’s energised editing. Other violence is swift and to the point, the director knowing not to dwell too long on vicious passages in the narrative, thus keeping his characters free of caricatures. Mind, he is thankful to the great cast assembled for his picture, for this is very much an actors piece. Well written without flabby periods of talk for talk sake, The Town provides proper drama for proper actors – and that includes the director himself.
Jeremy Renner is quickly turning into the go to guy for edginess, here as MacRay’s best pal, Jem, he deals out a frightening loose cannon turn. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small roles, but both impact hard on proceedings, both memorable and both adding a touch of classy know how. Hamm arguably has the hardest role, for as FBI Agent Frawley he has to carry on his own the other plot thread that is the investigation. Not just that, but the film lends itself to one which dares you to root for the bad guys, it’s a tough ask of the “Mad Men” actor but he nails it, with one two-fold scene in a bar, as he grills MacRay’s ex, Krista (Blake Lively heartfelt and believable), particularly offering a glimpse of what a good actor he can be. Ultimately the main load has to be carried by Affleck and Hall as the central doomed lovers. There is death and misery every where in Charlestown – and for the protagonists of the story, including Doug & Claire. Their relationship offers hope, a beacon of hope in a murky world, but it’s a relationship founded on black secrets and built around falsehoods. That Affleck & Hall draw us in with charm and acting gravitas further serves notice as to why The Town is top draw stuff.
Hardships, hard decisions and hard characters come alive in The Town, a great modern day drama that’s showing “Gone Baby Gone” was no fluke, this lad Affleck really is some director. 9/10