No. 5 - The Town

Plot Synopsis

Set on the dangerous streets of Charlestown in Boston, long-time thief Doug Macray (Ben Affleck) starts to fall for bank manager Claire Keesy, the hostage of his most recent bank heist. As their relationship grows, FBI Agent Adam Frawley closes in on Doug and his gang, and he starts to question the direction of his life…

Review

Ben Affleck set foot on the long road to redemption with his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. With his second full length feature, The Town, he’s nearing the end. It seems strange to the Unlimited Crew that a man as seemingly useless as Mr. Affleck has been able to emerge as one of Hollywood’s most exciting new directors. But The Town cements his unlikely status as a respectable figure in Modern Cinema.

The realism of The Town is what makes it stand tall above other crime thrillers in recent memory. Rather than the overblown action sequences that has become typical of the genre, Affleck opts for action that is gritty, brutal and most importantly, realistic. But whilst it has sufficient violence to please action fanatics, the true brilliance of The Town lies in its strong central performances and heartfelt emotion.

Oscar nominated Jeremy Renner is brilliant as Doug’s loose cannon friend ‘James Coughlin’, and the late Pete Postlethwaite turns in a frightening performance as the local florist and crime lord ‘Fergie’. But this is Ben Affleck’s film, his performance and direction are so skilful and disciplined it’s crazy to think he ever starred in films as uncompromisingly shit as Gigli, and Pearl Harbour.

Verdict

The Town is an excellent, if not entirely original crime thriller that has enough thrills, violence, romance and heart to please most movie fans.

Rating - ****

Jack's Sleep-o-meter - 20%

No. 6 - Shutter Island

Plot Synopsis

U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels and his new partner Chuck are sent to an island investigating the disappearance of a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane.

Review

Scorsese and Dicaprio team up for the fourth time in Shutter Island, Unlimited Crew’s 6^th best film of 2010, and it’s probably their finest effort together yet. From the epic score to its noir-esque visuals, Shutter Island oozes with style, class and a deeply dark sense of insanity. Though some have argued the film didn’t connect on an emotion level, it succeeds most everywhere else.

It has a strong cast with some great performances, (Dicaprio, Ruffalo and Kingsley are all terrific), yet the  characters are very stereotypical to the genre. This somewhat dampens their impact as performances, leaving the supporting characters as unoriginal and thus somewhat banal in their actions as the film proceeds. But Dicaprio in the lead role is tremendous and was one of many leading actors robbed of an Oscar nomination this year.

Whilst the film’s climax is somewhat predictable, its execution is dynamic. As the final scene fades out and the credits roll, we The Unlimited Crew would be shocked if you weren’t satisfied. It’s a dark, haunting, thrilling film that may lack in originality and emotion, but more than makes up for it with stunning visuals, great performances and filmmaking flair from a master director.

Verdict

An old fashioned detective movie with a strong psychological twist. Shutter Island grips its audience from the first scene and doesn’t let go. Epic.

Rating - *****

Jack’s Sleep-o-meter – 15%