The Town

Ben Affleck has made a startling career transformation in a mere seven years. It was 2003 in which "Gigli" was released, an International box office flop that had Affleck rendered a laughing stock. Parody was everywhere; with Affleck it was just too easy and like shooting fish in a barrel. That career low, coupled with his disastrous marriage to Jennifer Lopez almost left his career in tatters. Stunning then that in just two films, Affleck has completely turned his fortunes around. No longer do people wonder how much more talented his original writing partner Matt Damon is, or if Affleck ever even had any input into "Good Will Hunting"? Now his name is a byword for smart and intelligent adult dramas that are actually entertaining movie fodder for a Saturday night. He entertains the masses, but does not ask them to switch off their brain to do so. He respects character and plotting and does not shy away from harsh or gritty themes. All this, from that guy in "Reindeer Games".

Affleck again returns to the seedy underbelly of his hometown of Boston. In his previous film, ''Gone Baby Gone'' he presented very unsavory characters that would sell their own child for drugs or money. He depicted just how tough the streets are and how easy it is to get lost in their moral murkiness. With ''The Town'', he presents us with 'Charlestown'', a small neighbourhood in the Boston locale, which we're told houses most of the criminals responsible for the 300 or so bank robberies committed there every year. It is here that we open on Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), as he and his team rob a bank. Affleck shows his progression as a filmaker from the off, as this expertly mounted and brilliantly planned heist, is echoed in Afflecks Directing skills. In fact each of the three or so major action scenes are all brilliantly orchestrated. Events are feverous and hectic but never do the audience lose track of what is happening on screen. Its shoot-outs in particular rank as some of the best I have seen in years. As MacRay and his team take hostage Claire, (Rebecca Hall), a young bank teller, MacRay then takes it on himself to keep tabs on her, to make sure she does not give away any details she may have witnessed about MacRay and his masked group, to Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). As Doug and Claires relationship begins to grow, Doug soon realises that this may not be the life for him after all. But with the screws tightening from the FBI closing in and tension within the group itself, will he actually be able to make it out of Charlestown alive?

The ensemble cast are all superb. Affleck knows talented actors and litters his film with them. Hamm continues his role to superstardom as the very cunning and calculating Special Agent. In one scene in particular he jumps from slyly charming, to steel and beady eyed malice in a heartbeat. However Affleck does not drown his film with out and out bad guys. Characters here carry shades of grey to them. So while Frawley may be the antagonist, he is not all bad. Only Postlethwaite carries any of the panto 'boo and hiss' trappings of his villainous turn. Possibly the best performance of the film belongs to Renner as Jem, Dougs best friend. Exhibiting all the intensity that got him an Oscar nomination for ''The Hurt Locker'', his role provides a lot of the tension and emotion. A pent up ball of fury that may erupt at any time, his most heart stopping and stand out moment comes when he accidentally stumbles upon Doug and Claire on a date. His is a character borne out of his tough upbringing. Violence is all he knows and is the only way he knows how to express himself. He may not exhibit the remorse Doug has for his actions, but there is still something entirely sympathetic about him. A product of a rough and rotten upbringing, his downfall began at a young age when he killed another kid because he 'didn't like the look of him'. Under Renner's skilled wing, Jem isn't just the homicidal maniacal caricature he could easily have been, but something far more more sad and layered. Tension in the group comes from him at heart feeling threatened by Halls character. He doesn't want to lose his buddy and half brother and on these streets, family is everything. So when Doug tells him how he's 'getting out', what else can Jem do but fight? He is nothing outside of Charlestown and the prospect of existing in a world outside of it is too scary. Jealousy stems from Dougs ability to at least try to leave, something Jem could never do.

And then there is Affleck the actor. While this is undoubtably the best he has been in years, it is still outmatched by his skills behind the camera. One of the biggest strengths is the films ability to still seem fresh and entertaining when the the plot and themes are anything but. Boston crime in film is so common now, it could form a sub-genre onto itself. With Afflecks previous film, ''Gone Baby Gone'', it is also joined by ''Mystic River'' and ''The Departed'' in the familial stakes. That the film also shares parallel themes with the 1995 classic ''Heat'' and ''Point Break'', shows that Affleck is hardly treading on new ground here. It is this which while is certainly a big plus, it also means the film is prevented from 'classic' status. Events here have been covered plenty of times before and the film will offer you nothing new in the way of crime thrillers. It will however, offer a very solid and exciting evenings entertainment with some of the best ensemble acting in recent memory. Affleck should be applauded for making films for adults once again, and the films strong showings in both the US and Europe show that they are more than ready for films that don't have to rely on special effects to be a commercial hit. That Affleck has also changed the publics perception of his talent is astounding in itself. Tell anyone walking out of ''Forces of Nature'', that that actor will be writing and directing some of the finest and mature films appearing in cinemas in 10 years from now and they might have been liable to laugh in your face. In fact, I might have too.

Verdict: 79%

Ben Affleck cements his new found reputation as a very talented Director, with this expertly crafted and exciting crime drama. He builds on his Directing skills while also providing a more than solid nights entertainment. Expect to see this nominated for its outstanding cast come the awards season.

''The Town'' Trailer

Inception

Christopher Nolan works above almost every other Director working today. He exists with a rare few, who seem to achieve the impossible with almost every film they direct. His films are at turns, brain bustingly clever and original, but most important of all, entertaining. He does not pander to his audiences; rather trusts that a clever and original story well told will be all they need to grasp onto the world he puts them in. Don't forget that Nolan never tries to wrong foot or trick his audience (The Prestige aside), rather he is just asking them to go along with his characters for the ride. His stories are straight forward. His own original spin he puts on them, is what separates them from the norm. Whether it be "Memento's" detective story told backwards, "Insomnia's" shifting good/bad guy dynamics, "Batman Begins" audacity in (for once in it's long history in cinema) focusing on the highly complex title character, "The Prestige's" box of tricks non-linear narrative or "The Dark Knight's" obsession with how far can a hero stoop to stop an enemy threatening everything he stands for, Nolan tells conventional stories, in the most unconventional ways. In his new film "Inception" he does so in ways far more daring and thought provoking than anything he has explored before. In fact, there are things in "Inception" which I have never seen attempted in cinema before. Nolan has always loved playing with time and daring linear subterfuge, along with audiences perceptions of that which he puts on screen before them. Here he almost outdoes himself on everything he has achieved before. Not bad work considering he has yet to make a bad film and his last, is one of the highest grossing of all time. I will say off the bat that I consider "Inception" a masterpiece. I show nothing but unashamed love for this film. It plays on levels far beyond what Blockbuster entertainment should be and offers epic visuals, Art House cinema could never have the budget to muster. Apologies for those unhappy with the arse licking that is going on display here and for those who disagree with this review, however I will go on to describe just how and why "Inception" is the best and most important film this year.

For those who haven't yet seen this film I will say bypass this review. The films success is best achieved knowing as little as possible and just letting the world this film has to offer unfold around you. The plot exists in a world where 'dream-sharing' exists. This allows people to break into the dreams of certain 'marks' to then steal important information which can then be in turn used against them. We follow dream expert Dom Cobb (DiCaprio), as he and his specially assembled team, then break into a persons mind, for that one last elusive job. Of course there is far more going on than this, which would be too cruel to spoil here. That the film has plenty of surprises up its sleeve is an understatement. It is the most original heist movie you might ever see. DiCaprio is very ably joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as his right hand man, new 'Mad Max' Tom Hardy as a 'dream forger' and Ellen Page as 'the architect'. Page in particular acts as the audiences introduction into the world while also balancing an emotional counterpoint, crucial to DiCaprios character. We learn what the rules are, how it works and what the dangers are of dream sharing through her. Irish actor Cillian Murphy turns up as the unassuming 'mark' who DiCaprios team are trying to subconsciously break into. Ken Watanabe impresses as the client who originally offers the job to Leo's team along with the tantalising prospect of Leo's character finally being able to return home upon its successful completion. Marion Cotillard shocks (however to speak much about her part, would spoil too much of the story) and even Michael Caine turns up in a small role as Leo's professor. The cast are all uniformly excellent. Nolan works his ensemble so that everybody gets something to do and is very memorable in their own right, without ever losing track of the overall story. Murphy in particular entices (and is given the only other character arc of the story other than Leo's) as the young entrepreneur struggling to come to terms with the death of his Father. No mean feat considering he has a lot to do throughout films running time. Hardy also impresses and gains most of the films laughs as the sly Eames, while Gordon-Levitt is given the most awe-inspiring action beat of the film, as one of the most original fist fights ever staged is conducted in a revolving hallway. Even as the screws tighten, and the film grows ever more action packed and tense, Nolan never loses sight of character and emotion. Some have crticised the film as while being technically stunning, lacking in emotion and depth. How this could be argued is beyond me. It is Nolans most emotional film to date and this drives the entire narrative. It is about one man trying to get home to see his family. It is about the dark secrets of regret and angst that everyone carries around deep inside them. It is about learning to let go of the past and come to terms with your world as it is now. In essence, it is all about emotion. That, and huge explosions.

Nolan had been working on the script for over 8 years. It was only with the astounding worldwide and critical success he had with 'The Dark Knight' that he suddenly discovered how to complete it. The fact that he also was given over $170 million to achieve his vision, I'm sure also helped. Forever fascinated with the inner workings of the mind, Nolan loves making his audience think. When the film was first announced it came with the tantalising prospect as being 'a sci-fi thriller set within the architecture of the human mind'. 'What the hell could it be about?!' we all pondered aloud to each other. This again is part of the Nolan way; he never once set out to deceive us. This is exactly what the film is about. That it is that and so much more may not come apparent until seeing the film itself. The story is very straight forward and apart from a few brief flashbacks is almost completely linear. But this is where something quite extraordinary happens as Nolan, within the rules he has set for himself in his dream world (as most of the film is set) is able to stage sequences on top of each other, each set in different realms of the same dream. If it sounds complicated, it isn't as Nolan ensures that in between all the car chases and gun fights, the story is kept resolutely clear at all times. The only thing is that the story is so unlike anything we've seen in quite a while and provides almost limitless ideas for the film and our own minds to follow, and as a result, is quite a mind bender. Nolan has the audacity to at some stages of the film work 4 different action scenes on top of each other, in 4 different dream realms all at once. That each dream level has longer stages of time than the one prior, means that he plays around with time in a way that I have never seen attempted before in a film. I believe this (in the same way "Memento" was noted for) ability to play around with readily established timelines and means of telling a story in such an original manner deserves to be studied for many years to come. Nolan really is that good. Or that may just be the arse kissing I warned you about earlier again.

Leonardo DiCaprio, for the second time this year is a revelation. From his beginnings as the heart throb of the month well over a decade ago now, he constantly challenges and exceeds expectations in every role he commands. In fact his earlier film this year "Shutter Island" could work as a nice (brain bending) double feature with "Inception" as both films deal in similar themes of warped reality and distorted perceptions about what we believe to be real around us. Here he offers untold depths and distressing memories and regrets about the past. However, what separates it from his detective in "Shutter Island" is that the audience gets to physically travel into his subconscious, to better understand the inner workings of him and his traumatic past. His complex and very weighty emotions is what drives the plot. That "Shutter Island" is my second favourite film this year speaks wonders about his talent and ability at picking stand out parts. I am however sure at this stage that he must be aching to do a comedy after all these po-faced roles.

So arse licking all over, what we are left with is a stunning thriller. In a year seemingly devoid of originality and excitement in the theatres, Christopher Nolan has once again captured what films full of good story telling, acting and originality can achieve and it is far more than 3D or mindless CGI can muster. Nolan doesn't make movies for the Summer, he makes films for the ages as all the best auteurs do. In the lacklustre year of cinema it has been, along with excitement generated by "The Dark Knight", Nolan had a lot of hype to live up to. Maybe that he exceeded it is not surprising, seeing as he has done it so many times already, but that the film is a success in all the unforseen ways it is, should be applauded. In selling their biggest film of the summer without any previous tie-in to any film or comic before it, Warner Bros. took a huge risk which paid of handsomely for them. The film never pauses for one moment and yet incorporates character and emotion seamlessly into its narrative to stunning effect. It's most minor criticisms stem from not much characterisation from those after Murphy or DiCaprio, and its long running time. All of this is insignificant however. Nolan once again achieves the impossible in cinema in glorious fashion. This is a film to be watched and studied many times over, to work out its many stunning idiosyncrasies. It is a film that will not leave your mind after first watching it. It is a film as this review will tell you, I love. If we see any film until Nolans 'Batman 3' that even comes close "Inceptions" excitement and stunning film making, then we will be very lucky indeed. This is not a dream, "Inception" is indeed, far and away the best film you will see this year.

Verdict: 91%

Christopher Nolan returns with an epic study of emotion, regret and loss. His first original work since 'Following' over a decade ago, and it's a belter. Shot with Cinematographer Wally Pfisters stunning eye, another classic score by Hans Zimmer and the most exciting action you may yet see all year, Nolan is back showing was can be done with the magic of cinema.

"Inception" Trailer