Movie Rob’s Genre Grandeur: The Town (Boston Movie)

 

– For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Boston Films, here’s a review of The Town (2010) by Catherine of Thoughts All Sorts Thanks again to Ryan of Ten Stars or Less for choosing this month’s genre. Next month’s Genre has been chosen by Vern of the Video Vortex. We will be reviewing our […]

via Genre Grandeur – The Town (2010) – Thoughts All Sorts

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This month, Movie Rob‘s Genre Grandeur is about films set in Boston, selected by Ten Stars or Less.

Immediately, The Town (2010) comes to mind. For me, definitely Grandeur-worthy. I thoroughly enjoy this one as it has an interesting balance of crime, drama and romance.

In fact, I’m a sucker for romance. But not the one found in Romance genre movies…rather, the romance in those movies that are anything but “Romance”. And this one is perfect. Hmmm, actually, it does drive the story though.  Let me explain:

Charlestown, Boston. Four friends (Doug, Jem, Gloansy and Dez) rob a bank. One of the calmer tempered robbers gets Claire (Rebecca Hall) to open the safe for them. Another one, often acting on impulse, takes Claire hostage but she is later released safely. Discovering that Claire lives nearby, Jem (the loose cannon played so fantastically by Jeremy Renner) suggest he “takes care” of her. By this stage, Doug (Ben Affleck) feels sympathetic towards her and says he’ll sort this out instead. Following Claire he finds an opportunity to strike up conversation with her and so starts their romance. Doug decides that he wants “out” of his criminal life, especially after a botched heist attempt, but is forced into doing one last job: Clearing out Fenway Park (a Boston Baseball Park) after a huge weekend of baseball. All while Claire is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of the robbery, convinced she’ll recognise the perpetrators yet unaware of the truth. She also has FBI Agent Frawley (Jon Hamm) watching her for various reasons. And so you have the jist of the story. Obviously there is so much more involved.

Based on Chuck Hogan‘s novel Prince of Thieves (well, my copy has been re-titled The Town) and directed by Ben Affleck, it also stars Blake Lively as Doug‘s on-off girlfriend Krista, Slaine as Gloansy, Owen Burke as Des, Titus Welliver as Dino, Pete Postlethwaite as the florist Fergie and Chris Cooper as Doug‘s father.

The star, without a doubt, is Jeremy Renner who is absolutely brilliant and thus deserving of the Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role he received for his portrayal of Jem. But, the entire cast work well together with Ben Affleck leading them. All making for a great heist-type movie.

A note though: if you can, watch the extended edition. I’ve only just watched it and it is soooo much better than the theatrical version. It fills in some story gaps nicely and just give a more satisfying and better rounded story. Not that the theatrical version is bad – it is still watchable and complete.

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