Ben Affleck has been in the spotlight for years, having acted in popular feature films since the early 1990s. However, he didn't begin to direct full-length movies until the late 2000s. The Town wasn't his first effort, but the movie produced a following after its release became widespread.
Some fans call The Town one of the best heist movies of all time. The thriller features a familiar story of a group of rag-tag bank robbers, but with several action sequences that many considered visionary upon their release. Fans might wonder what secrets lie behind the making of The Town that make it feel authentic.
Ben Affleck Interviewed Locals And FBI Agents For Research
Ben Affleck wanted to make an authentic story when creating The Town, and the Massachusetts native spent time in Charlestown, Boston before filming. He didn't grow up in the rough and tumble neighborhood and wanted to get a feel for the people there. Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter that he held auditions for hundreds of Charlestown locals and talked to interesting personalities to develop authentic material.
Realistic locals represent some of the film's main characters, but FBI agents like Jon Hamm's Adam Frawley are also on display in the film. Affleck also talked to the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston to gain more understanding of their part in the story.
A Real Bank Was Used For The First Heist
The opening sequence in The Town shows one of the most memorable robberies in the movie. It introduces the main group of criminals, along with Affleck's love interest in Rebecca Hall's Claire Keesey.
Many would say the scene feels real, so, unsurprisingly, it was shot inside a formally active bank. During the time of filming, Melrose Free Press reported that the first robbery was being filmed in a former MASSBank branch in Melrose, Massachusetts, using the fictional name of The Cambridge Merchants Bank.
A Real Prison Was Used
Some fans would argue that Stephen "Big Mac" MacRay, Affleck's Doug MacRay's father, helps make The Town great. Chris Cooper plays Big Mac, giving him one of his highest-rated roles. Audiences see him during sequences when Doug visits his dad in prison.
In another example showing Affleck's drive for authenticity, the prison where Big Mac is held is in fact, a functional penitentiary. Boston fans might recognize the prison as Massachusetts Correctional Institution. It was the first film to shoot inside the institution, in the visiting area.
Jeremy Renner Spent Time With Massachusettes Convicts For Research
Jeremy Renner plays Jem Coughlin, and his performance received award nominations from several prestigious film institutions. Like Affleck, Renner seemed determined to make his part in The Town as veritable as possible.
Renner told The L.A. Times that he went to prisons holding convicts from around Charlestown, and "had a few beers with them." He says he asked them if they got nervous about robberies, and they told him they saw the money in banks as theirs, and heists were just the process of picking it up.
There Is a Nod To Heat
To many cinephiles, Heat is perhaps the quintessential bank robbing movie. It features several thrilling action sequences, and Heat is filled with memorable quotes. It's hard not to notice striking similarities between the heist sequences in Heat and The Town.
However, eagle-eyed fans will notice this reflection isn't lost on Affleck and the people behind The Town. In a short scene, Affleck's Doug is in his apartment watching TV. He is watching a scene from Heat in a self-aware nod to the cult hit.
Jeremy Renner's Oscar Nomination Was Unique
The Town is one of Jeremy Renner's highest-rated movies. Furthermore, his performance in the movie was recognized perhaps more than any other actor. He received more award nominations than any other performer, and solely landed the movie an Academy Award nomination.
Renner's Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor turned out to be unique. Unlike every other supporting actor nominee of that year, he was nominated for his performance in a movie that was not nominated for best picture.
Rebecca Hall's Real Birthday Is Used For Her Character
Rebecca Hall plays Claire Keesey. She is Doug's love interest and one of the first victims of the main group's robberies in the opening of the film. There is an interesting easter egg regarding her character during an interview scene with the FBI.
In the scene, Claire's birthday is announced as May 19, 1978. In reality, Rebecca Hall was born on May 19th, 1982.
Its Opening Claim Isn't Factually Accurate
In trailers for the film, as well as its opening, there is a claim that hundreds of bank robberies occur in Boston each year. Then, there is a claim that the neighborhood of Charlestown features a high concentration of these criminals.
However, The Boston Globe reported that in reality, in the first quarter of the year of the film's release, only 23 bank robberies were reported in the state of Massachusetts.