Critics Love Ben Affleck's Heist Flick The Town

Boston bank robber drama The Town is the heist movie of the year and Ben Affleck, who co-wrote, directed, and stars, has never been better, say critics.

• Ben Affleck, directing his second movie, proves that 2007's excellent Gone Baby Gone was no fluke, writes Rick Bentley at the State. Affleck "never undercuts an emotional moment for the sake of an action sequence, which creates a perfect blend of humanity and thrill that even more experienced directors can't find," he writes.

• This is "the best heist picture since Heat," decides Roger Moore at the Orlando Sentinel, praising the movie’s "sure sense of place, as Affleck shoots chases through the narrow streets and tentative, romantic dates in the distinct, off-the-tourist track corners of the city."
• The Town is "Movie Boston," not real Boston, but "it’s moody and grim and engrossing if you approach it with the right expectations," writes Ty Burr at the Boston Globe.
• This is "a gripping human drama disguised as a blazing heist film that comes on like gangbusters," writes Peter Travers at Rolling Stone. Affleck has gotten the most of an outstanding supporting cast, including Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner and Mad Men's Jon Hamm, he writes.

(More Town reviews stories.)