Hey Blake Lively: What are you doing in "The Town?"

I sat down the other night and was flipping through the channels and came across "The Town" just beginning on HBO.  I had always wanted to see it, but just never made the time.  If you are looking for an excellent, suspenseful movie, this is it.

Ben Affleck directed it as his follow-up to his directorial debut (which I have not seen but want to) "Gone Baby Gone."

I particularly liked "The Town" because I could tell right away that it took place in Charlestown, MA, which is where I used to work for the Massachusetts Democratic Party.  The scenery was great and every time they panned over the city I saw Bunker Hill Community College, where I would often walk on lunch hours. 

  This movie claims that there are a greater percentage of people who rob banks that are from Charlestown.  That number is disproportionate to other parts of Massachusetts and the rest of the country.

The movie itself (aside from those Boston accents) was excellent and focuses on a budding relationship between Ben Affleck's character and a hostage he took (she doesn't know it was he) from the bank that was robbed at the opening of the movie.  He eventually let her go, but then worries she might recognize him, so he mini-stalks her and runs into her at a laundromat.  She does not recognize him.

The movie centers on a series of more and more daring heists that culminates in an attempted robbery of Fenway Park.  I enjoyed the movie a lot because of the great action and the love story wasn't that mushy or annoying since Ben Affleck's character was trying to strike a balance between leaving his old life, dissembling it from his love, and trying to commit more robberies due to pressure from what I assume is the Irish mob.

Jeremy Renner was pretty good in it, too, despite me not liking "The Hurt Locker" in any way.  The performances in the movie are great, and Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" did an awesome turn as a frustrated FBI agent trying to take down Ben Affleck and his crew. 

     

The only piece that didn't seem to fit, however, was Blake Lively.  She usually is type cast in teen/twentysomething comedies but perhaps is best known for her role as Serena Vanderwoodsen on "Gossip Girl."  Well, I kind of wondered why she was in "The Town" since her accent was terrible and she seemed incongruous with the rest of the casting.  Stick to the Upper East Side, Blake. 

I included Leighton Meester in the picture, well, just because.

"The Town" is a great movie and if you have two hours to spare I highly recommend it.  The scenery of Charlestown and Boston is very excellent and adds to the mood of the movie, and throughout the whole film you wonder if Ben Affleck, who claims to want to start a new life, will be able to do so.  Excellent flick, and I know you Mass. people will love the scenery, the accents, and who knows, maybe even Blake Lively.  Happy watching.