tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post9190689526705722369..comments2022-03-24T16:11:50.124-04:00Comments on The Man From Porlock: Feeling Heat (The Town)Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-4393433789315058832010-12-13T15:58:03.280-05:002010-12-13T15:58:03.280-05:00Good review. Affleck even comments on himself copy...Good review. Affleck even comments on himself copying certain scenes/visuals from Mann: Before his ex-girlfriend comes to him to you know what..., we see him watch TV. And guess where the scene with the white truck stems from. Yup, MM's masterpiece...<br />Also, I'd say, the heist at the stadium is taken from Kubrick's "The Killing".Ingo Steltenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-53289864349104580952010-09-25T22:47:32.890-04:002010-09-25T22:47:32.890-04:00You're right; I read that wrong. I read it as ...You're right; I read that wrong. I read it as "not because he lacks Mann's skill," rather than "not just because..." Mea culpa.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-83752045978813240792010-09-25T21:29:39.757-04:002010-09-25T21:29:39.757-04:00I thought I said Affleck's skill wasn't ak...I thought I said Affleck's skill wasn't akin to Mann?<br /><br />Need to write up my review. More thoughts tomorrow.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-68057289239101412682010-09-25T11:24:46.878-04:002010-09-25T11:24:46.878-04:00Jason,
Good analysis on what makes "The Town...Jason,<br /><br />Good analysis on what makes "The Town" work, though I agree with both you and Steven that equal parts humility and sincerity are reasons why. Certainly Affleck is smart enough to work within himself, while stretching within a reasonable parameter. But he's also genuinely interested in these characters and this milieu, and he's fairly openhearted about it. (As he's often been as an actor without getting much credit for it.)<br /><br />I can't agree that Affleck's skill level is akin to Mann's. In a way, though, that's a plus. "Heat" is still the only Mann film with more than one interesting female character, and that's something that seems to come naturally for Affleck.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-69732458067461745572010-09-22T20:46:57.262-04:002010-09-22T20:46:57.262-04:00I still hope to write a review of this, but I won&...I still hope to write a review of this, but I won't get to it this week, so I'm breaking down and reading reviews. In general, I'm with you and Steven. I enjoyed the film, despite its cliche tendencies, and I think what makes it work isn't so much "sincerity," to use Steven's term (though that's close) but maybe humbleness. For a film that has a car chase and that ends with a huge fucking shootout, I never got the feeling Affleck wanted his film to be BIG. The problem with so many movies in the action genre today is that they seem determined to make their mark in some way, to do something you've never seen before. Affleck ignores all of that and just does stuff that works, even if it's stuff that we've seen before, because it works. He can't match <em>Heat</em> not just because he lacks Mann's skill but because he lacks that boldness to play it to the edge, which is what makes <em>Heat</em> work 95 percent of the time and also what makes it fail ("She's got a great ass...").<br /><br />Anyway, enjoyed the film. And, I enjoyed the I enjoyed it, if you follow my meaning.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-62199922160429162632010-09-20T22:31:15.231-04:002010-09-20T22:31:15.231-04:00I meant of course that he's needed, not the vo...I meant of course that <i>he</i>'s needed, not the void.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-9442717976578472202010-09-20T21:19:30.528-04:002010-09-20T21:19:30.528-04:00Steven -
Perhaps, how people perceive Affleck wil...Steven -<br /><br /><i>Perhaps, how people perceive Affleck will change after these two films. While neither film is a masterpiece by any means, we are seeing someone with a genuine vision and point of view who is interested in the characters who populate his genre films.</i><br /><br />I agree. Amazingly, so do a lot of other moviegoers. I can't remember the last time I both saw <i>and</i> enjoyed the #1 box-office movie of the week. Granted, it was promoted relentlessly with an eye-catching trailer, but so was <i>Scott Pilgrim</i>.<br /><br />Adam -<br /><br /><i>But I didn't see Gone Baby Gone, which I've heard is above average. I'm getting a sneaky feeling that by not watching Affleck's directed films I'm missing some sort of filmmaking talent that was bottled up until recently...</i><br /><br />Well, he's not an auteur by any means. But as Steven indicated, Affleck is becoming a solid genre filmmaker. With both auteurs and hacks a dime a dozen, he's filling a much needed void. <br /><br />I know what you mean about "Bastahn" movies too. At least this one is made by people who speak the lingo and know the customs and build the film out of that knowledge organically. For example, when Affleck and Renner enter Fenway Park, there's a nice throwaway bit where Renner touches some kind of sacred baseball totem before going inside. Maybe Hokahey knows what that was...?<br /><br />Hokahey --<br /><br /><i>I found a lot to like in this movie - just sometimes it seemed too much like Heat.</i><br /><br />And your own review caught other more similarities that I had missed. If you're going to borrow from another movie, though, that's not a bad one.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-43253800017009651402010-09-20T20:24:00.968-04:002010-09-20T20:24:00.968-04:00I like your reasons for liking this movie, as enum...I like your reasons for liking this movie, as enumerated in your first paragraph, and you argue well for how its cliches and its similarities to <i>Heat</i> work and make it a successful <i>Heat, Jr.</i>. I agree. I found a lot to like in this movie - just sometimes it seemed too much like <i>Heat</i>.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-64887309260262878392010-09-20T19:10:33.985-04:002010-09-20T19:10:33.985-04:00Hmm... well Craig, you have me intrigued. I wasn&#...Hmm... well Craig, you have me intrigued. I wasn't really planning to see this, since I've never cared for Affleck and I'm kind of tired of "Boston" movies, if that makes any sense. But I didn't see <i>Gone Baby Gone</i>, which I've heard is above average. I'm getting a sneaky feeling that by not watching Affleck's directed films I'm missing some sort of filmmaking talent that was bottled up until recently...Adam Zanziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524618281515322239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-20160309497018253242010-09-19T19:34:34.172-04:002010-09-19T19:34:34.172-04:00Quite liked the film myself, though it was clear A...Quite liked the film myself, though it was clear Affleck really loves "Heat". I thought it was a step above "Gone Baby Gone" visually and it helped that this time he was not working with Dennis Lehane source material which requires needless plot twists in the third act.<br /><br />My best retort to those who say it is cliched is I feel Affleck presents these cliches with a certain level of sincerity, where he allows all of the characters to show the humanity beneath the archetypes. It also helps that he's quite good at getting the best out of his actors, including doing a better job directing himself than most of his directors ever did.<br /><br />Perhaps, how people perceive Affleck will change after these two films. While neither film is a masterpiece by any means, we are seeing someone with a genuine vision and point of view who is interested in the characters who populate his genre films.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05571206086671634525noreply@blogger.com