I didn't watch the trailer for The Town before going to see it. For me, the words "Oscar bait" and "Ben Affleck" in the same sentence are enough to get me into a seat. Regardless of what you might expect from Affleck as an artiste, a movie like this usually manages to become fodder around the water cooler, and I don't intend to be left out.
The premise of The Town turned out to be a juicy one: In an effort to cover his bases, a bank robber (Affleck) tails a former hostage (Rebecca Hall) only to end up falling for her. The Boston Irish crime-ring thing runs the risk of thematically ripping off The Departed, especially when our main character is (sort of) leading a double life. However, the material stays fresh and original, even if it can't help reminding us of a film starring Mr. DiCaprio.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2010.