I'm pretty psyched to check out "The Town." It's gotten solid praise for the story and rave reviews for its performances. Jeremy Renner in particular was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama, and while he didn't win, he's also on the Best Supporting Actor list at the upcoming Academy Awards.
The guy's obviously got talent, as evidenced by his Oscar-nominated turn in last year's Best Picture, "The Hurt Locker." What I'm really looking forward to, though, are the performances from "Mad Men"'s Jon Hamm and the late Pete Postlethwaite. Both have serious abilities, and while Hamm is pretty much made for his role as FBI agent Adam Frawley, Postlethwaite always adds a refined touch to his scenes even as a background character, and I'm interested to what extent this aspect will be used in such a gritty film.
Ben Affleck, for his part, is once again filling multiple roles, playing the part of main character Doug MacRay on top of directing and co-writing the screenplay. Generally I like Affleck's work, but his strengths are more evident behind the scenes. Given the overall level of talent he's assembled for the movie's ensemble cast, I'm thinking it's an indication of something promising.
The DVD is literally in the mail and it couldn't get here sooner.
Here's the overview: Doug MacRay is an unrepentant criminal, the de facto leader of a group of ruthless bank robbers who pride themselves in stealing what they want and getting out clean. With no real attachments, Doug never has to fear losing anyone close to him. But, that all changed on the gang's latest job, when they briefly took a hostage -- bank manager, Claire Keesey. They let her go unharmed, but sometime later she meets an unassuming and rather charming man named Doug...not realizing that he is the same man who only days earlier had terrorized her. The instant attraction between them gradually turns into a passionate romance that threatens to take them both down a dangerous, and potentially deadly, path.
Contrary to her natural state of being, Renee Lorenz is a total optimist when it comes to Milwaukee. Since beginning her career with OnMilwaukee.com, her occasional forays into the awesomeness that is the Brew City have turned into an overwhelming desire to discover anything and everything that's new, fun or just ... "different."
Expect her random musings to cover both the new and "new-to-her" aspects of Miltown goings-on, in addition to periodically straying completely off-topic, which usually manifests itself in the form of an obscure movie reference.
