The Town (Blu-ray)

Over the past decade or so, Ben Affleck has managed to get pretty bad reputation. With his previous relationship with J-Lo having turned him into a bit of a joke, it’s meant that nobody would take him seriously for love nor money. To be honest, it’s hardly fair. Sure, some of the films he’s in are rubbish and he’s got a face that you just want to slap, but you really can’t knock the guy’s acting chops - just watch his performance in Chasing Amy or Good Will Hunting and it’s impossible not to agree that he has talent.

Well it’s good to see that things have started to turn around since Gone Baby Gone garnered rave reviews. With his superb directorial debut, Affleck has finally started gaining the credit he so rightly deserves – even if it did cause many to predictably chime in that he belongs behind the camera rather than in front of it. Well now he’s followed it up by directing an arguably better film that also sees him back on screen delivering one of the best performances of his career.

Following a Boston-based bank robber as he tries to find a way out of his criminal lifestyle, The Town sees Affleck dishing out a performance that’s bold, brash and laden with emotional gravitas. With the likes of Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall following suit, it’s an impeccably performed film. As for the film itself, it’s a tense, engaging delve into the crime-ravaged streets of Charlestown, Boston. Action-packed, utterly gripping and beautifully shot, it’s a film that demands attention. Quite how it’s not up for the Best Picture Oscar is a mystery.

Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a longtime thief who’s planning his next job. However there’s still some leftover business from a previous bank robbery, with Doug and his crew wanting to know if bank manager Claire has info that could identify them. However Doug starts to fall for the woman who was once his hostage, while she doesn’t know who he really is.

As for the high def package, the picture is superb in following the fast-paced action with minimal artefacting and showing off Boston’s stunning cityscape with eye-pampering, glorious grittiness. Similarly, the HD audio transfer is also impressive in its rendering of the hectic, noisy action. Superb stuff. In terms of extras, There’s a nice bunch of featurettes that revolve heavily around Charlestown’s infamous bank robberies, two cuts of the film, a DVD, a digital copy and an insightful documentary from the man himself. It makes for a great Blu-ray title that’s well worth a spot in your collection.

Overall Verdict: After a cracking directorial debut in Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck proves that it was no fluke as he delivers another gritty, raw crime thriller. Superb.

Reviewer: Jordan Brown