MOVIE REVIEWS: THE TOWN
A few critics aren’t especially enthusiastic about Ben Affleck’s The Town, which he directed, starred in, and co-wrote. To A.O. Scott of the New York Times, it’s just a “solid minor entry in the annals of Boston crime drama.” Ty Burr in the Boston Globe calls it “a pretty decent crime drama.” And Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune says that it’s “worth seeing for its actors.” But most of them — even those who have often criticized his performances in recent films — are freely handing out props to Affleck. Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times writes that the movie “solidifies Affleck’s reputation as an actor with a genuine gift for directing.” Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post credits him for turning out “a first-class genre entry stacked with dandy performances and some crackerjack action to boot.” Lou Lumenick in the New York Post writes that Affleck “delivers the goods as an actor and director” and with this film “finally erases all memory of the smirking actor who used to coast through so many movies.” Claudia Puig in USA Today poses this reminder: “Just think: Gigli came out in 2003. Since then, his resilience and commitment to overcoming missteps is impressive.” Similarly Chris Vognar concludes in the Dallas Morning News that with The Town, Affleck “forges ahead with one of the best Hollywood second-act stories in recent memory.”
