The Town: Superb Acting from Affleck, Hamm and Renner

From the trailer, The Town kind of just looks like The Departed, but David Edelstein says the film’s superb acting elevates it above “Hollywood hokum.” Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, it’s the story of a bank robber in Boston who falls in love with one of his hostages. David Edelstein at New York Magazine says, as the main robber, Affleck is “no lug when it comes to action.” His partner, played by Jeremy Renner of Hurt Locker, “keeps the film from going soft.” John Hamm “does little besides bark orders” but “his handsomeness comes through vividly on the big screen.” Even Blake Lively “shines.” But the best performance is by Chris Cooper as Affleck’s imprisoned dad. “The performance is hard, almost completely internal, with the barest hint of disgust at his son’s credulity.” Edelstein says his performance “astounds.”