Ben Affleck is turning out to be quite an amazing director. I think amazing is the right word because judging from his acting ability, it wouldn't seem like that greatness was within. That felt like punching someone in the face and then handing them a band-aid, but its the truth. Big Ben started strong in his directorial debut in "Gone Baby Gone". He made the Boston culture interesting then, and kept the interest up in "The Town". Both of his films happen to have great performances wrapped around interesting stories, but most of all, it is the execution of the film as a whole which leaves the biggest impact.
Ben is able to peer through a lens and see good things, which is becoming more and more rare as more and more blind men take the seat of director.
The pace of the film is steady all the way through, steady on its fully developing into fully developed characters, which flows perfectly with the pace of the story. Everything peaks exactly when it needs to. Affleck still showed which brother he was in a few scenes, and even in the ending a bit, but still, Ben is on the right path in directing.
Every bullet shot in the film felt like some of the most real action sequences in all film. Every echo was perfect, every trace was stellar, every hole was just right, and every drop of blood couldn't have been better. There are very few successful bank robbing films, or even bank robbing scenes, but this one could possibly contend for the genre's top spot.
I believe people will begin making a harder push for Ben behind the camera than in front. But in this outing, it appeared that he had some ability for both. He blends the right amount of humor with drama, so we don't feel like we don't or can't believe it, and gives us characters with enough personality traits to draw similarities and distinctions from ourselves as we make connections.
At the pace Ben is moving, perhaps in 10 or so years we could be chanting his name like we currently do for Mr. Chris Nolan? I don't think it would be hard to envision another handful of successful outings for Affleck, and that is all that is needed to be considered a more than good director.
"The Town"
8 / 10
