The Town

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 17, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: Four townies rob banks for a living until one of them falls for their hostage.

Review: Doug (Ben Affleck) and his crew, which includes Jim (Jeremy Renner), Gloansy (Slaine) and Desmond (Owen Burke), are bank robbers from Charlestown. Just as their fathers before them, these boys are part of the community's continuous wave of criminals. Due to a mess up during their latest robbery, they are forced to take a hostage - the bank manager named Claire (Rebecca Hall). They let her go unharmed, but Doug volunteers to watch her to make sure she doesn't provide info to the cops. However, Doug doesn't only watch her. He ends up dating her, which puts his crew in additional danger. Even with the constant heat from the FBI (Jon Hamm), the boys continue their crime spree and may be pushing their luck one time too many. I really admire the fact that Affleck gives back to his home state by bringing Hollywood to the east coast. I love that he doesn't shy away from the grittier sides of Boston (in this movie and in Gone Baby Gone). He chooses to represent them as they are - flaws and all - and is able to capture the atmosphere to vividly. I think The Town could just be Affleck's come-back movie. He hasn't had many great roles recently. It seems that he's got to create his own roles in order to be cast in them. Renner was also good in his role as the badder of the two friends. I don't think he achieved the same kind of greatness as he did in The Hurt Locker, but at least his character was memorable. The other two thugs were almost non-existent in this movie. Despite having essential skills to carry out the jobs (one had NASCAR skills and the other knew how to work the electrical systems), they were really just props for the relationship between Affleck and Renner's characters. Also putting in a great performance is former The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants actress Blake Lively.

Watch It: For another good realistic thriller written and directed by Affleck.

Skip It: If whacks to the head make you turn your head.

New York, I Love You

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 16, 2009

DVD Release Date: February 2, 2010

Plot 411: Life and love in the city that never sleeps.

Review: The through line of this movie is the lives and loves of the people of New York. Similar to Paris, je t'aime, this movie is essentially a love letter to New York. However, the vignettes in this version are more interconnected than its predecessor, and there are no slides demarcating locations or titles. Treated as short films, some segments are more effective than others. My personal fave is the story about the bickering old couple, which starred Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman. In contrast, another good one is about first love and starred Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby and Blake Lively. Other notable stars include Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Orlando Bloom and Ethan Hawke.

Watch It: To see a crap ton of stars playing unexpected roles against the backdrop of New York's skyline.

Skip It: Because there's no real rhyme or reason to the stories.