RE:VIEW ~ “The Town [Alternate Ending]” (2010)
The only version I have seen of this film is the ‘Alternate Ending,’ but the principle characteristics of this picture are the same no matter which you view. The ‘Cinema Release’ version director Ben Affleck was forced to create for the studio ended up having a kind of happy ending, which is inherently wrong for film noir (that is basically what this is). While the ‘Extended Version’ is probably better than that one, as far as I can determine the ‘Alternate’ must be best all around and most satisfying based on reading the various descriptions.
Firstly, this is based on a real group of individuals and their crimes which were committed in or near Boston’s neighbourhood of Charlestown. This area is (or was, at least) statistically the World’s Capitol of Crime, having more robbers and criminal enterprise per capita than anywhere else. If you get enough people in a space who are doing something — footie, mathematics, or crime — others will join in or at least learn how to do the thing better than others who aren’t there might, purely from exposure.
The direction by Mr Affleck (who is also in the cast) is assured and clear. He gets fantastic performances from everyone in. the cast, the story being presented with clarity and careful touch of humour. Excellent work from him here.
The acting is really great. Watching John Hamm as the frustrated FBI Agent tasked to both catch and prove the guilt of the crew is very satisfying.
Likewise, Pete Postlethwaite was a genius and never disappointed, no matter how tiny a role he had. Here he provides incredible depth to what could otherwise be a simple performance. His character feels so complicated you want to have a movie or lengthy TV series just about this person, he is so rich a vein of experience and mystery. I could watch him prepare roses for sale all day.
The real gem here is Jeremey Renner who is all impulse and no internal questioning. People like this exist and — while I haven’t met anyone willing to shoot someone in the head without so much as pausing to take a breath — we’ve all either dealt with or watched someone deal with a problem in the fastest and easiest way, no matter the consequences. This is who he is throughout the film, but Mr Renner imbues him with further layers of reality as a combination of distrust and avarice begin to consume him. It’s fairly easy to see why he was nominated for a Best Supporting Male Actor Oscar® for his work here.
The film stock used is grainy which, coupled with the camera work, brings a cinéma vérité feel to the whole picture. Nothing of the setting has a sense of glamour or wealth — even the FBI Field Office looks cramped and smelly — so the need to get out of this reality by way of a massive injection of cash seems all the more real.
This is a very worthwhile picture and is highly recommended.
★★★★☆