As a director, Ben Affleck has already shown himself with 2007’s Gone Baby Gone and 2010s The Town, both of which are criminal thrillers. The actor-director plays vicious gang leader Doug MacRay in the film. He soon has his life turned upside down as he falls in love with James’ (Jeremy Renner) prisoner, a bank worker named Claire (Blake Lively).
Who Is The Town Based On?
The events depicted in the film The Town are completely fictional. The source material is Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves. Ben Affleck, the film’s director, and star did extensive research to make the picture seem more authentic than if he had just adapted the novel.
Affleck conducted extensive interviews with locals of Charlestown and even recruited Aaron Stockard to co-write the scripts with him. In fact, he called the Boston office of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and was told that drug addicts are responsible for the vast majority of bank robberies.
The film’s opening shot firmly roots itself in Charlestown, a neighborhood in Boston. “One blue-collar Boston neighborhood [Charlestown] has produced more bank robbers and armored car thieves than anywhere else in the world,” the book’s introduction states. It would pique the interest of many to learn that robbing banks in Charlestown have become a family business.
Is Charlestown, a community of only a few thousand people, really a safe refuge for bank robbers? Some individuals were offended by the film’s depiction of Charlestown residents when it was released in 2010. It’s important to remember that the film is based on Charlestown’s history and in no way suggests that violence is rampant in the Boston area now.
Despite the fact that we do not have reliable data for the crime rate in Charlestown during this time period, we do know that robberies in Massachusetts reached an all-time high in the ’80s and ’90s before dropping precipitously in the ’00s. In addition, although the film’s premise is completely made up, it alludes to a number of actual crimes.
As an example, one of its bank robberies is modeled on a real-life heist that took place in Hudson, New Hampshire, and ended in the murders of two security guards. The film’s portrayal of Charlestown may seem true, but its “authenticity” should be treated with suspicion. The filmmakers wanted to depict Boston in the film without upsetting the residents of Charlestown.
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The Plot of The Town
Four lifelong friends from the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston—Douglas “Doug” MacRay, James “Jem” Coughlin, Albert “Gloansy” MacGloan, and Desmond “Dez” Elden—rob a bank. Jem takes Claire Keesey, the bank manager, prisoner despite Doug’s wishes. Eventually, she manages to set herself free without harming herself in the process.
After finding out that Claire lives nearby, Doug begins to follow her around to check how much information she has revealed to the police and to make sure that Jem’s explosive temper doesn’t discredit her as a witness. Doug tries to conceal his growing feelings for her from the rest of the crew.
Over time, he confides in Claire about his search for his long-lost mother, who he believes relocated to Tangerine, Florida with his aunt. He was also on the cusp of a successful career as a professional ice hockey player when he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and begin robbing banks. Doug realizes that Claire is able to identify Jem when she tells him that she noticed a tattoo on one of the thieves but did not report it to the FBI.
Doug tells her that if Jem found out, he would kill her, so he threatens to notify the police if she does. He claims that if she does, she will be sent to another state and put in witness protection. His plan works since she doesn’t say anything and just watches everything from the sidelines.
What Happened At The End of The Town?
This Is It, The Final Chapter, In the end, the police close in on the two men, a fierce gun battle ensues, and Jem is shot and killed. Doug escapes from his pursuers by the skin of his teeth and tries to get in touch with Claire so that they can spend their final moments together.
Who Is The Town Bad Guy?
The character of Fergus “Fergie” Colm is a villain. Pete Postlethwaite portrays Fergie, as one of the film’s primary villains. He’s a neighborhood hoodlum who enlists Doug and his crew for a string of robberies. His status as one of the film’s least-liked characters is hard to dispute. His most remembered interaction with Fergie is a perfect example of his villainy.
Is There A Netflix Version of The Town?
The Town represents the zenith of the motion picture industry in Boston. This gripping thriller from 2010 is now streaming in its entirety on the popular video service. The story involves a gang of Boston bank thieves who, for “one more score,” plan to rob the famous Fenway Park. Ben Affleck’s The Town, in which he also appeared, is an impeccable example of the heist film genre at its finest.
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