Reviews

Ben Affleck made a hugely impressive directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone. His second, The Town, suffers from a formulaic script but is just as excitingly directed, with a terrific feel for its Boston locations, suspenseful heist sequences and marvelous acting.

Affleck even gives a reasonable performance, as a career criminal who makes a living pulling off armored car and bank jobs with a hotheaded friend — that's Jeremy Renner, proving his Oscar nomination for The Hurt Locker was no fluke.

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This is a tough urban thriller that ranks with the best recent efforts in the genre. It lacks the originality of Michael Mann's Heat, but it's at least on a level with Eastwood's Mystic River and Scorsese's The Departed.

By Christopher Tookey, from Daily Mail

It's a heist film loaded with interesting characters, an action film with simply amazing stunt sequences, and a romance with a compelling love story. The Town has a little bit of everything in one immensely entertaining package, with director Affleck proving he's got real style and finesse behind the camera.

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It's not the first time the story's been told, however The Town makes it feel original. And maybe there are a few too many side characters for everyone to be fully fleshed out (more time with Blake Lively's damaged and dysfunctional Claire would have been nice), but Affleck and his co-writers Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard do well with building up the tension and keeping the complex story flowing.

The Town's a solid, suspenseful crime thriller loaded with impressive performances. Affleck's now proven he's a force to be reckoned with as a director, with The Town firmly establishing Affleck as a filmmaker with talent and vision.

By Rebecca Murray, from About.com