The Town (2010)

There used to be a time where it seemed like Ben Affleck couldn't catch a break in Hollywood, but fast forward years later and it's almost as if he took the scenic route towards respectability.

Taking a page out of Clint Eastwood's playbook, Affleck went behind the camera for 2007's "Gone Baby Gone" and not only garnered praise for his directorial debut but, in the process, proved that he had more to offer than we had thought.

But let's be honest. At the end of the day it was still Ben Affleck and people were going to have an opinion one way or another; but with "The Town", Affleck proves definitively that he's a force to be reckoned with and what he delivers here on screen is damn near cinematic gold.

Quite the compliment considering this is only the second film he's directed, but Affleck just has a knack for surrounding himself with the right material/actors and that's what makes "The Town" so unique. Not enough can be said about the performances here as they are key in this film; and as much of it is Affleck as a director to capture that, he does it with such ease that it really brings out the best in everybody involved.

The same can be said for the film's story. Not only is it as gripping as say "The Departed", but its sharp attention to detail and its gritty portrayal of the conflict between these cops and robbers (so to speak) will, surely, grip the viewer all the way through until the bloody end.

Without giving anything away, "The Town" is one of those films you just have to see for yourself. But, to be fair, no movie is perfect. The 123 minutes of running time made the film overly long, but not so much that it felt as if a frame of that was wasted. Every second is essential in its own, unique way and, in the end, "The Town" makes for quite the stay. If not, for one of the better movies of 2010.

Rating: 4 ½ inkblots out of 5