As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the F.B.I. Agent looking to bring him and his crew down.
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.
On his first day on the job as a Los Angeles narcotics officer, a rookie cop goes beyond a full work day in training within the narcotics division of the L.A.P.D. with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
Director:
Antoine Fuqua
Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Ethan Hawke,
Scott Glenn
An airline pilot saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner which eventually crashed, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling.
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Nadine Velazquez,
Don Cheadle
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
Director:
David Fincher
Stars:
Ben Affleck,
Rosamund Pike,
Neil Patrick Harris
With an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train barreling toward a city, a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe.
Director:
Tony Scott
Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Chris Pine,
Rosario Dawson
The Charlestown neighborhood of Boston is renowned for churning out a high number of armed robbers, generation after generation. These robbers never leave their Charlestown life on their own volition, the neighborhood where there is an unwritten code to protect that lifestyle. Such robbers include friends Doug MacRay, James Coughlin, Albert 'Gloansy' Magloan and Desmond Elden. Doug and James in particular treat each other like family, as the Coughlins have realistically been as such to Doug since Doug's mother ran off and Doug's father, Stephen MacRay, was sent to prison. James' single mother sister, the drugged out Krista Coughlin, and Doug have a casual sexual relationship. The foursome carry out a mostly successful bank robbery, but due to circumstances take the bank manager, Claire Keesey, hostage for a short period before releasing her physically unharmed. They find out that Claire lives in Charlestown, so they want to ensure that she did not see anything that could incriminate ...Written by
Huggo
Slaine was a concession seller at Fenway Park as a teen. He described going back there to shoot the film as "surreal". See more »
Goofs
Claire says "Years ago, he had lymphoma," with a British accent. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Doug MacRay:
[narrating]
Driver's name is Arthur Shea. Former Metro Police officer, fifty-seven years old. Soon as his partner leaves with the coal bag, Artie cracks a Herald, and he don't look up 'til the guy gets back. Marty Maguire. Cummins Armored courier. Five-ten, two-twenty, fifty-two years old. Picks up every Wednesday and Friday at exactly 8:12, makes a hundred and ten dollars a day, carries a Sig nine. And he's about to get robbed.
[...] See more »
Crazy Credits
Charlestown's reputation as a breeding ground for armed robbers is authentic. However, this film all but ignores the great majority of the residents of Charlestown, past and present, who are the same good and true people found most anywhere. This film is dedicated to them. See more »
Alternate Versions
The 152-minute extended cut has the following additions and changes:
When Frawley and Dino examine the burnt-out getaway car, Dino says that he's also from Charlestown and although there are witnesses, the police are unlikely to get a single response. Frawley deduces that the robbery gang are a new band since he had put away most of the professional gangs away in jail.
During Frawley's interrogation with Claire, he reveals more details including robbery statistics including bank robbery being a common thing in Charlestown. However, her question of whether she can get a lawyer has been removed. Doug and James try to replace the robbed money by buying marijuana from a dealer and selling to another dealer.
Since the visit to the drug dealer has been shown, Frawley's briefing to the team has been replaced with more shots in the casino and Doug's team taking drugs.
When Doug and Krista talk in the bar, there's more dialogue by her that makes her character more unappealing and establishing her as a xenophobic.
James stops Krista from hitting Doug before the latter leaves for home. While watching Heat on television, Krista shows up at his apartment before segmenting into the sex scene. Doug later plays puck briefly.
The first date between Doug and Claire has been removed in place of a new scene where Claire tells Doug that during the robbery, her assistant manager David was hit by James' rifle butt many times that he had to go for an eye surgery. They head to the hospital to see him.
At the hospital, David is revealed to be permanently blind on one eye, as a result of James' outburst of violence. A police officer on duty rants about robbers that makes Doug more aggrieved.
A 4-minute scene between Doug and Claire after the restaurant (he learns that the owner is also a friend that uses to play ice hockey with him). He explains about the definition of the slang "Tunie" but lies about his parents, while Claire says she's from Marblehead. Doug also points out that juveniles hold robbers of high-regard like rock stars.
Frawley meets Claire again because of missing information, specifically she didn't tell him that she lives in Charlestown, and intimidating her for being suspicious.
Doug and James beat the two gangsters that harassed Claire. They make it look like a drug deal gone wrong. More beatings on Alex. (note: this pays off more significantly at the end of the Alternate cut)
Extra line by Doug to James: "You hate prison but you can't wait to get caught."
Extra line by James during the second robbery: "He didn't want to end up on the wall of the VFW."
Before Gloansy's turn in the interrogation scene, James calls for lawyer, and Doug deliberately speaks too fast and fuzzily on the microphone.
The scene where Doug gives Claire a necklace (actually a robbed loot) and her quitting the job plays out differently. In the new cut, it takes place at a park. Now she says that she had voluntarily quit her post and plans to be teacher or a social worker in Charlestown. However she remains uncertain of him as she is unsure whether he was involved in the attack of the two of her molesters. Frawley becomes more suspicious of her when he sees the necklace after being asked to leave.
Doug berates James for accepting another job from Fergus, but is told he's can't simply leave because of Krista and her daughter. When he doesn't see himself as a father (because of her going out with a lot of men), they fight. James then recalls of Brendan, a man killed by Doug able to walk away after being shot.
Now that the relationship between him and Claire has crashed, Doug gets some cocaine, sits in an abandoned vehicle and fires his gun until blank. This scene is meant to show that his abstinence is over and he is ready for one final heist plus his resolve to kill Fergus. He meets Krista again to tell her that he will disappear for a while after the job.
Frawley narrates the jury of the hug contest story to Krista. This scene shows a contrast of reaction between Claire's (natural) and Krista's (mimic / artificial ).
The robbery team's diversion is restored. Dez the decoy, takes the company car home for the weekend, while an FBI-agent (as a jogger) plants the transmitter in the van. This pays off moments later in an added scene when Frawley and Dino fell for it.
James explains why he couldn't quit his crimes. Doug bids goodbye in contempt.
During the robbery, Desmond calls Doug a coward for suggesting to surrender.
CCTV shots during Doug and Fergus' shootout.
The final exchange between Frawley and Claire has been moved up and has dialogue, making him more distrustful of her.
The Ben Affleck saga is well chronicled in these reviews. Pretty boy hunk, to blockbuster star, to paparazzi darling, to yearly "razzie" nominee. I'm not sure the "razzies" were warranted, by his movie choices got decidedly weaker as his star was falling. Eventually he took some strong supporting roles to get back on track and now has grabbed the director reins with both hands.
"The Town" is placed in and about my loved Boston. "Ahh, ahh, Boston you're my home". By choosing Charlestown (now a yuppier "Chuckville") as its base, the North End for a car chase and the bowels of old (1912) Fenway for the climactic "last job", he is at home in his surrounding. Anyone who has walked thru the North End, stopped for a "slice" and checked out the streets knows that's the last place you'd ever expect a high speed car chase. Ben's camera work and editing makes it a thrilling, crash filled event. Pity the poor stunt drivers who has to careen around those corners!
So, lots of reviews tell the plot points. I'm just writing to voice my opinion on the entertainment value and that is very high. Though its over two hours, it never drags. Ben gives each of his excellent cast a very strong scene or two. Chris Cooper gets 5 minutes of screen time and is excellent. Rebecca Hall, the prettiest average looking person you'll see, is terrific. Jeremy Renner is calm and explosive, at the same time. Jon Hamm gets to look cool, be cool and stay cool. He is a different FBI than we are used to. Smart, but with a meaner edge. And, for me, last but not least, Blake Lively. I hear she's a glamor girl on TV and red carpets, but here she absorbs the role of broken, damaged and desperate, with a glob of mascara in each eye. One review I read said "she's no Amy Ryan" (see:"Gone Baby Gone"). Maybe not, but that's pretty unfair and she is well up to the task here.
So, action, anti-heroes to "root" for and Fenway Park (a diamond on the outside, pretty scruffy underneath)!! What's not to like? But I've got to nit-pick one thing. Does everyone in the world have a 3 day beard??? FBI guys go to the office unshaven for days? Ben even has some uneven moments where he goes from 2 to 1 to 3 day beards in the same caper! Hey, what can you do, its not one big long shoot, but it was a lot of stubble!
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The Ben Affleck saga is well chronicled in these reviews. Pretty boy hunk, to blockbuster star, to paparazzi darling, to yearly "razzie" nominee. I'm not sure the "razzies" were warranted, by his movie choices got decidedly weaker as his star was falling. Eventually he took some strong supporting roles to get back on track and now has grabbed the director reins with both hands.
"The Town" is placed in and about my loved Boston. "Ahh, ahh, Boston you're my home". By choosing Charlestown (now a yuppier "Chuckville") as its base, the North End for a car chase and the bowels of old (1912) Fenway for the climactic "last job", he is at home in his surrounding. Anyone who has walked thru the North End, stopped for a "slice" and checked out the streets knows that's the last place you'd ever expect a high speed car chase. Ben's camera work and editing makes it a thrilling, crash filled event. Pity the poor stunt drivers who has to careen around those corners!
So, lots of reviews tell the plot points. I'm just writing to voice my opinion on the entertainment value and that is very high. Though its over two hours, it never drags. Ben gives each of his excellent cast a very strong scene or two. Chris Cooper gets 5 minutes of screen time and is excellent. Rebecca Hall, the prettiest average looking person you'll see, is terrific. Jeremy Renner is calm and explosive, at the same time. Jon Hamm gets to look cool, be cool and stay cool. He is a different FBI than we are used to. Smart, but with a meaner edge. And, for me, last but not least, Blake Lively. I hear she's a glamor girl on TV and red carpets, but here she absorbs the role of broken, damaged and desperate, with a glob of mascara in each eye. One review I read said "she's no Amy Ryan" (see:"Gone Baby Gone"). Maybe not, but that's pretty unfair and she is well up to the task here.
So, action, anti-heroes to "root" for and Fenway Park (a diamond on the outside, pretty scruffy underneath)!! What's not to like? But I've got to nit-pick one thing. Does everyone in the world have a 3 day beard??? FBI guys go to the office unshaven for days? Ben even has some uneven moments where he goes from 2 to 1 to 3 day beards in the same caper! Hey, what can you do, its not one big long shoot, but it was a lot of stubble!