tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post5061363377633368541..comments2024-03-28T15:01:21.285-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Trouble (Ben Affleck's "The Town")Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-26709548574345081482018-04-25T17:31:12.770-04:002018-04-25T17:31:12.770-04:00Steve - Chuck Hogan's book is PRINCE OF THIE...Steve - Chuck Hogan's book is PRINCE OF THIEVES. Aaron Stockard worked on the screenplays for GONE BABY GONE and THE TOWN, but not LIVE BY NIGHT, and Ben should probably have gotten Lehane on board. The Coughlin trilogy is tricky to adapt, because so much of it is internal, and from what I gather, the rough assembly of LIVE BY NIGHT ran over 3 hours. The obvious model, for me, is ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, but this is a prime example of reach exceeding grasp. The cinematography, though (Robert Richardson), is extraordinary.<br /> David Edgerley Gateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302818835018859164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-25022472921378031942018-04-25T16:38:11.836-04:002018-04-25T16:38:11.836-04:00Some lines make a movie, and that one, "Whose...Some lines make a movie, and that one, "Whose car we gonna take?" nails it.Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-55487068651152622502018-04-25T16:28:30.451-04:002018-04-25T16:28:30.451-04:00David, we’ve chatted about Boston and Cambridge. M...David, we’ve chatted about Boston and Cambridge. More than most cities, they seem the venue of high expectations and low crimes. I hadn’t known what <i>The Town</i> was about and, if it weren’t for your commentary about it, might have missed it.Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-17244479895926582512018-04-25T10:06:50.140-04:002018-04-25T10:06:50.140-04:00Funny thing: as soon as I saw the subject of your ...Funny thing: as soon as I saw the subject of your piece my head went straight to "Whose car we gonna take?" Just nails the characters and theme, doesn't it?<br />Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89619779110531072842018-04-25T09:12:47.296-04:002018-04-25T09:12:47.296-04:00I loved The Town, David. Great column.I loved The Town, David. Great column.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-48118679619539892012018-04-25T08:49:10.683-04:002018-04-25T08:49:10.683-04:00I know I read the Chuck Hogan novel The Town is ba...I know I read the Chuck Hogan novel The Town is based on. I don't remember the title, but I do remember that I liked it a lot. <br /><br />I think Live by Night is Lehane's weakest novel and I was surprised they decided to make a film out of it. I wasn't surprised by the reviews (I also know a once-fellow-actor who had a minor role in it and loved working with Affleck), though. The book won Lehane his long overdue Edgar, but...<br /><br />Gone Baby Gone is one of my favorite Lehane novels and I think Affleck did an OK job with it except that he had to simplify an emotionally complex book to make the movie less than about four hours. Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman are both brilliant actors, but I don't think either of them was appropriate for the roles they played, either. Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-80873088097726341782018-04-25T07:54:32.919-04:002018-04-25T07:54:32.919-04:00Thanks for the tip about the movie. Always interes...Thanks for the tip about the movie. Always interested in movies based on a novel. Not that original screenplays aren't great as well.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-78967192816695993432018-04-25T07:06:45.068-04:002018-04-25T07:06:45.068-04:00He got an Oscar nomination for it, Paul. Reminisc...He got an Oscar nomination for it, Paul. Reminiscent of the guy Tom Sizemore played in HEAT, a picture Affleck says influenced THE TOWN. Affleck also remarked that if a scene was going flabby, "all you had to do was cut away to Jeremy," even if he were just sitting at the table in a diner - he gave off that much ferocity. Scary good performance. David Edgerley Gateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05302818835018859164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-5151031243963749192018-04-25T04:24:50.377-04:002018-04-25T04:24:50.377-04:00I saw The Town when it came out, David, and I reme...I saw The Town when it came out, David, and I remember liking it. But your piece makes me want to see it again. I do remember the Renner character being pretty intense, if I remember correctly.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.com