The Film
How many movies will Ben Affleck have to do before he's taken seriously once again? Maybe if we don't answer that, he will keep cranking out films like The Town.
Flying high off reviews of his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, the Oscar winner (remember that?) returns with this cops and robbers drama. This time, however, Affleck not only stands firm behind the camera, but takes center stage in front of it. He's also stacked the deck with an extremely talented cast, including Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, Chris Cooper, and Pete Postlethwaite.
Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a former hockey star who's turned in his skates to go into the family business of robbing banks. Despite working with his childhood friends (which includes Renner), he wants to right some of the wrongs in his life, especially after getting close to one of his victims (Hall).
The story itself is really nothing all that special. Bad guy wants to go good? Seen it. However, Affleck does produce a little bit of magic with that premise. You have to appreciate how he's managed to develop the characters in such a short movie. It doesn't hurt that there isn't a bad performance in the bunch, including a very impressive (but brief) turn by Gossip Girl star Blake Lively. Last, but not least, it's just an entertaining movie. It's hard to go wrong with a good, old-fashioned heist flick.
Want to explore more about the movie? Check out Mark Grady's review of the theatrical release of The Town.
The Picture
There's been a bit of buzz about Warner's decision to feature the theatrical and extended versions of The Town as full-length cuts on this one disc. Of course, two movies take up a whole lot of space, which could mean bad news for the overall image. I'm very happy to report that there is little to worry about. The Town looks pretty phenomenal. Of course, that gritty image contributes to the ambience for the movie. There's some grain, but this 2.40:1 transfer has great dark colors, a nice blue tint, and excellent black levels, which all convey the action very well. The varying skintones are spot on, and stubble really stands out as some of the more memorable detail. Also, once the action gets taken outside, the image has some serious pop. Blue water and Harvard Square foliage make for a very nice backdrop.
The Sound
Both cuts also get the DTS-HD Master Audio treatment, which is a perfect complement for this movie. There's a lot of deep bass rumbling through the streets of Boston. During those and many of the film's other moments, the audio is pretty intense, with a ton of gunshots, tires screeching, and general chaos. Just to make sure you never leave the edge of your seat, the track manages to keep you pretty enveloped through a series of background noises, inside the bank, inside bars, and around the busy Boston streets. There might be a few what-did-he-just-say moments because of the Boston accents; otherwise, the dialogue is clear, even down to the whispers inside Fergie's shop.
The Extras
Sometimes less is more, and that is definitely the case with the extras for The Town. First, let's start with the extended version of the movie, which includes another 28 minutes. The extra time allowed the film to expand on a few topics, but was kind of unnecessary, especially given the theatrical release's already lengthy 125-minute runtime.
Whether or not you go for the extended version, there is a commentary track. Ben Affleck goes solo for both, which is a nice treat. Also, there is a series of shorts under the heading of "Ben's Boston." This is sort of a stupid title for a series of really interesting extras. Topics include, "Pulling Off the Perfect Heist," "The Town," "Nuns with Guns: Filming in the North End," "The Real People of The Town," "Ben Affleck: Director & Actor," and "The Cathedral of Boston."
Final Thoughts
Despite a resume bursting with craptacular films, I keep cheering for Ben Affleck. The Town should change the minds of many viewers on where this man stands as a filmmaker and an actor. Despite fairly typical subject matter, he manages to create something that's extremely entertaining and well worth a spot in your Blu-ray collection.
Product Details
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