The Town
The town in question is Charlestown, a blue collar neighborhood in Boston. According to the movie, it is the bank robbing capital of the nation where the trade is passed down from father to son which is the case with Ben Afflack’s character, Doug MacRay. Doug’s crew consists of three of his lifelong friends who would do anything for one another. Together they brazenly rob banks and armored cars in the Boston surrounds.
They hit a bank in Cambridge and in the process take one of the managers, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage. After terrorizing her, she is released and warned not to go to the authorities. The crew later finds out that Claire lives in their neighborhood and become fearful that she might recognize them by voice since they were all wearing rubber masks. Doug decides to try to find out if Claire has any clues to their identity and eventually begins to fall for her. He attempts to keep this a secret from his friends for fear of their disapproval. They eventually find out about the relationship and friction develops between the men with Doug intent on keeping Claire safe.
Doug wants nothing more than to leave the gang and put Charlestown in his rear view mirror. He would like to include Claire in his escape plans if at all possible. The big problem is that the rest of his gang and the criminals who ultimately control them want to continue their crime spree. Doug is forced into one last heist involving a daring caper at Fenway Park. By this time the FB I is beginning to close in on them with the help of an informant, Krista Coughlin (Blake Lively) who feels she is being left behind by Doug in favor of Claire.
The movie offers very good character development and you can begin to care for many of the protagonists though certainly not all. There is action galore with the usual car chases and shootouts. It’s a story of people trapped in a lifestyle that they can not readily escape. It is also a story that just may linger in your mind for a while.
Rated - R -
Fatwayne’s Rating - 
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