September 19, 2010 -- This probably won't be gritty or depressing enough for some people, because not every main character dies, but it was gritty enough for me and I was thankful for an ending that wasn't totally depressing (like “Mystic River” or “Million Dollar Baby”). This is a gritty story about a tough gang of bank robbers from a family of bank robbers living in Charlestown, in the Boston metro area. Director Ben Affleck grew up in Boston and knows the area (I used to live in the Boston area myself). This film has an authenticity about it that is hard for outsiders to capture.

This film has rightly been compared to the seminal bank robbery film “Heat” in that it shows bank robbery from both sides, that of the crooks and the cops trying to catch them. It also has an element of romance, as a crook (Affleck) falls in love with his former victim, bank manager Claire Keesey (played by Rebecca Hall of “Vicky Christina Barcelona”). The big difference between “Heat” and this film is that the main cop, FBI agent Adam Frawley, (played by Jon Hamm of the TV series “Mad Men”), is portrayed as a very hard man to sympathize with, unlike Al Pacino was in his similar role in “Heat.” Affleck, who plays the bank robbing mastermind, Doug MacRay, is portrayed as a character easier to sympathize with than his “Heat” counterpart, Robert De Niro. “The Town” also does a better job than “Heat” in exploring the relationships and backgrounds of the bank robbery team members. It also has the added element of some other bad guys pulling the strings of the bank robbery team, and MacRay's relationship with his bank robber father (Chris Cooper) who is doing life in prison.

“The Town” features another star-making performance from Jeremy Renner, fresh off his award-winning role as a bomb disposal junkie in “The Hurt Locker.” Renner has a Tom Sizemore-like dangerous intensity vibe in this role as James Coughlin, a slightly unhinged bank robber with a murderous streak (and yes, Sizemore starred in “Heat”). With this performance, Renner continues his rise to the Hollywood A-List. MacRay wants to get out of the bank robbery business, while Coughlin sees no other choice for himself. It isn't easy to get out of the bank robbery business, because the gang works for an organized crime figure who won't let them go, Fergus Colm (Pete Postlethwaite of “The Usual Suspects”). MacRay doesn't realize the extent of Colm's manipulation of him and his family until Colm tells him the criminal facts of his life, so to speak. Colm's story is horrifyingly evil.

There is some intense action in the film during bank robberies, getaways and shootouts with the police. The film also has some clever dialogue, including one very funny line by Frawley, who laments that he can't get FBI authorization for surveillance on the bank robbers “unless one of these idiots converts to Islam.” There is also a slight subtext of the federal gun regulation issue as the police find themselves outgunned by the bank robbers. This is a smart, intense movie about the lives of criminals. I don't know if it is as smart in its depiction of the FBI as it is about the criminals. It isn't what I would call a balanced view of the two sides. You can't really blame Affleck for not wanting to portray himself as too much of a bad guy in his own film. The guy has enough trouble as it is without giving any more ammo to his many critics, who include filmmakers Trey Parker and Matt Stone (“Team America: World Police”). Whatever. Affleck has long since proven he can write, direct and act, and is a force to be reckoned with.

This film has a little in common with Affleck's previous film, “Gone Baby Gone” in that it involves some moral dilemmas. Unlike his previous film, “The Town” depicts moral dilemmas that are more subtle and believable. This is a very accomplished film with excellent acting performances by all. This film rates a B+.

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