The Town - At The Drive In

Tonight was the second time we have been to the local drive in.

The first time was when my friend Michelle was over from the UK. We had seen Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole. Okay, well, I had seen it. Michelle and Sam both slept through most of it. Yes, it is aimed at children, but I personally thought it was a very well produced animated film.

Anyway...

So tonight Sam and I went to see The Town.

Starring - and directed by - Mr. Ben Affleck, it is set in Boston and depicts a snapshot of life in "the projects".

Affleck has had an inconsistent career, in my humble opinion, but this movie is pretty good. The story line is predictable to a point, but it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. More a guys' film than chick flick, there is an appreciable body count and enough gun fights to appease most movie goers.

Aflleck looks good, and seems to be ageing particularly well. His delivery of his character is very believable, helped in part by his on key Boston accent, and understated acting.

There is also enough detail and background to the characters to keep the viewers' attention, keeping the plot and each of the characters' motivations and actions all in context. As with any decent film, there is a focus on relationships among the main characters. The romantic relationship between Affleck and his girlfriend (Rebecca Hall) is complicated by Affleck's secret life of crime, the relationship between Affleck and his less than stable friend (Jeremy Renner) who he sees as a brother, and the relationships he has with his imprisoned father (Chris Cooper) and the local crime lord (Pete Postlethwaite).

These relationships all seem in flux, and push the story forward very effectively.

Have a look at the trailer. If you haven't seen it yet, I would suggest there are worse ways to spend $20.