Here was a pleasant surprise during one of the worst years for movies I can remember. I’m not exactly a fan of Ben Affleck; for every Good Will Hunting, I’ll see you a Gigli and I enjoyed Jersey Girl (aware I’m in the minority) but Phantoms was the bomb, err… a bomb. I’ve now decided that if he’s in a movie that takes place in Boston, I should probably see it. Affleck made this movie with the same subdued, matter of fact quality that worked so well in his debut, Gone Baby Gone. This movie is missing the presence that Casey Affleck brought to Gone, but it offers quality alternatives with Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm and Rebecca Hall.

Affleck plays a washed up former hockey player that has gone into the family business, Robbery. Banks, armored cars, and possibly liquor stores are the targets of choice for his four man team. The movie opens up in the middle of a bank robbery that is going as Affleck planned until simmering wild card Renner takes the manager (Rebecca Hall) hostage as security during the retreat. Renner lets the manager go but then the whole team becomes paranoid about what she may remember and pass along to the FBI (represented by Jon Hamm of Mad Men, and Lost’s Man in Black, Titus Welliver).

Affleck fakes a chance meeting and begins seeing the bank manager to find out what she knows and just maybe keep Renner from killing her. He decides to continue seeing her, which is complicated by the FBI, Renner, and the seedy Boston underworld that is all too happy with Affleck’s success and is not letting him quit while he’s ahead.

The film opens with a few quotes about Charlestown, the Boston neighborhood showcased with quality cinematography. One of the quotes, “I’m proud of being from Charlestown, it ruined my life but I’m proud - Anonymous”, hit it home for me. I have met many hardened criminals who were well aware they were in some way a product of their environment and were unwilling to make the effort to break free of it or had completely embraced it.

4 stars. A theater must see. This movie didn’t break any new ground but it hit all the notes spot on and being such a poor year for movies, I’ll risk a guess that this might get some form of Oscar nod.