Ben Affleck Goes to 'Town'

Ben Affleck surprised more than a few of us with his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. Variety reports he's heading back behind the camera again, directing himself in an adaptation of the Chuck Hogan novel, The Prince of Thieves. The film will be called The Town, which isn't much of a name, really. I think it's a geographical reference within the story, but it could just as easily be titled The Place Where the Movie Happens and it would have as much impact on everyone who's never read it. I like Prince of Thieves better, but a bad Robin Hood movie already used that. Affleck is currently re-writing a draft of the script by Hogan and Peter Craig, and he'll portray Doug MacRay in the film, a career thief who falls in love with a bank manager. Like Gone Baby Gone, this book is based around Affleck's home town of Boston, in the gritty area of Charlestown, which is called "a breeding ground for bank and armored-car robbers" in the book. Are we ready for the second coming of The Ben? I have to say, even though I'm not a fan of his career as a whole, I've liked his last couple of major moves, playing George Reeves in Hollywoodland and Gone Baby Gone. His debut as a director could've ended better, but it was certainly a good effort. As far as rebuilding your career after you had become a laughingstock, there's no question Affleck has gone about it the right way.I also think it's commendable that he'll pay people cash if they're ever injured on the job, so if you get hurt and miss work, it won't hurt to miss work.

Comments

[Lengthy Johnson]

Gone Baby Gone was good because it lacked a distinct directorial style. I gave the film a certain documentary feel, which worked for that film.

Pulling off some minimalist direction is not the same as writing, directing and acting in a film.

There are plenty of people who would love to say that Gone Baby Gone was a one off fluke.

[Get The Big Picture]

I agree with you. Although I think he co-wrote the Gone Baby script, too. But acting, particularly in the lead role, while directing is a whole different kettle of fish. I will say, though, that part of the reason that movie worked is because he was directing his brother, and Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris don't really need much direction.