The Town (2010)

Criminal characters in films are often portrayed in a glitzy, glamorous fashion. This is especially true of American films, where movies such as 'Ocean's 11' portrayed its rogue gallery almost the same way as they would a baseball team: pet names, endearing traits and a general sense of their actions being mischievous rather then harmful. In this sense, 'The Town' is a very brave film as it doesn't sugar-coat the actions of the criminals, regardless of their role as the central characters in the film. Instead, the audience is constantly made aware of the repercussions of their actions.

The setting is Charlestown, which is given almost as much character as the actors give their personas. The majority of the characters are from the 'Projects', a very bleak part of town that appears to be a series of run-down apartment blocks. The slums and bars are depressing in their squalor and is is obvious that the people who live there have developed an attitude of 'us and them' regarding the wealthier inhabitants of the city. We are told at the very beginning of the film that Charlestown produces a huge number of bank robbers year on year, as if the trade is passed down father to son. This is evidenced by the main character, Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck.), whose father is in jail for the same crimes that his son is now committing. We follow MacRay as he leads a crew through a series of robberies, whilst trying to reconcile this secret life with the one he hopes to have with his new girlfriend, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall), who happened to be involved with an earlier crime. Although the film is about crime, the majority of time is spent with the characters in their lives outside of the actual robberies. Watching the way they live and seeing how the culture of Charlestown has influenced their lives gives great depth to the characters, allowing the audience to feel a sense of personal engagement with characters that would otherwise had been unlikable and, therefore, expendable.

The main strength of the film is in its portrayal of the characters. MacRay is forced to divide his loyalties between various people and sacrifice things on both sides. We are also introduced to the notion that, even if he can escape with Claire, he probably does not deserve to. It is this idea that really hits home: the characters in the film are accountable. Their past actions are not absolved because they suddenly find a life outside of crime. We are not encouraged to root for the criminals, as even MacRay finds their methods and attitudes increasingly deplorable. The FBI is not portrayed as a self-serving agency, but rather a force for good. The audience is given space to decide for themselves what the criminals deserve, which for many will mirror the outcome of the movie.

If you go into this movie expecting the slick dialogue and chemistry of 'Ocean's 11', you will be very disappointed. Then again, that would be akin to seeing 'Titanic' and expecting a straight-faced documentary of the voyage: it completely misses the purpose of the film. 'The Town' is a serious look at the motivations and backgrounds of a very select group of criminals, forcing the audience to examine their own ideas of morality and law.