Ben Affleck co-wrote, directed, and starred in The Town, an American crime thriller movie from 2010 based on Chuck Hogan‘s 2004 book Prince of Thieves. Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince book served as a guide for the movie. The novel Prince book gave me the idea to write or prepare the script for the beautiful movie. Ben and Aaron wrote the film.
What happened to Stephen Macray in the town? Ben Affleck did a lot of his research to make the movie exciting and realistic, and with this movie ( The City), he delivered another gripping crime thriller. Ben Affleck was born in California and grew up in Cambridge over the Charles River.
Writer, Director, and Star cast
In this movie, there are many actors, directors, and stars. Along with Rebecca, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lier, Titus, Pete Postalpeite (acted with Slimy, for whom Doug’s band contracts heists and Doug’s mother was overdosed by the local drug lord), Chris Cooper, and Slaine, also features the talents of these actors; In black Mass, John Depp played South Boston mobster. The story revolves around a crew of Boston bank thieves who aim to settle their score by stealing Fenway Park
Before its September 17, 2010, American release, the movie had its world premiere on September 8, 2010, at the Venice Film Festival. Based on actual events, it earned $154 million worldwide and got accolades from critics for its directing, writing, editing, and performances by the cast, especially Renner.
Nominated by the National Board of Review
Renner received an Academy Award nomination for the best-supporting actor, and Postlethwaite received a posthumous BAFTA Award nomination for best supporting actor. In addition, the movie was named one of the top ten movies of 2010 by the National Board of Review.
The Town is a riveting crime story that captures your attention immediately and doesn’t let go until the end. The movie sacrifices the effectiveness of its heists instead of coming across as a typical heist movie and instead emphasizes its characters and its well-known Charlestown setting.
It’s also challenging not to wonder if it is based on real people due to the complexity of its characters and the outstanding performances of its cast because Even the movie’s Charlestown setting raises the question of whether the neighborhood’s actual crimes served as an influence for the story. The town is mentioned in the movie.
Is it based on a true story or not?
Now, let’s discuss an important question related to the film, i.e., is the town based on a true story? Ben Affleck, the film’s director and star, conducted a lot of his research to make the movie look more genuine rather than depending simply on the information in the book (Chunk Hogan’s novel).
Here, the scenes of the movie are shot in the bank. A fictional bank name is Cambridge merchants bank and Cambridge savings bank (nonfictional, it is in Harvard Square), and it also has produced bank robbers and car thieves.
Research work
Affleck interviewed several locals and encouraged Aaron Stockard to collaborate with him on the scripts. He even contacted the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston, which provided information about how drug addicts typically commit bank robberies.
However, as shown in the film, the task force had just busted a group that was strikingly similar to the AK-47-wielding crew from the previous scene. So, here a question arises is the town based on a true story?
Location and essential facts about the movie
The movie establishes that Charlestown in Boston is where it takes place in its very first shot. According to the book’s prologue, one blue-collar Boston neighborhood, Charlestown, has produced more bank robbers and armored car thieves than any other place in the world.
How many viewers wonder if a bank robbery in Charlestown turned into a family business? Was Charlestown, a small town, truly a hub for bank robberies? When the movie made its debut in 2010, its portrayal of the residents of Charlestown drew significant criticism. The city also states about the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown.
But it’s important to remember that the film only loosely references Charlestown’s past and makes no attempt to indicate that the Boston area is now rife with crime.
Inspiration for the Movie
Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan is the inspiration for The Town. Charlestown is where “more armored car robbers are traced” than any other area in the nation, according to the 1995 Boston Globe article that served as the prologue for the movie.
Additionally, to answer is The town a true story, although the movie’s plot is entirely fictional, it makes references to several true crimes. For instance, one of its bank robberies is based on a real-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire, when two guards were killed.
In conclusion, even though the movie’s portrayal of Charlestown appears partially accurate, its “authenticity” should be viewed with caution. The film does not want to offend Charlestown or its residents; rather, it aims to provide a cinematic picture of Boston.
The Town, Ben Affleck followed up his 2007 feature directorial debut Gone Baby Gone with another suspenseful crime thriller. The actor-director plays Doug MacRay, the brutal gang’s leader, in the motion picture. However, his life is quickly turned upside down when he unintentionally falls in love with Claire, a bank employee who is being held hostage by his close friend James (Jeremy Renner) (Blake Lively).
Events of the movie
The events of The Town take place in Charlestown, a district of Boston that, according to the prologue, “has produced more bank robbers and armored car thieves than anywhere else in the world.” How much of the movie, though, is based on genuine events?
Not quite. Actually, Chunk Hogan’s Novel Prince is the book on which The Town is partially based. However, to make the movie as authentic as possible, Affleck conducted his own study into Charlestown.
A claim by Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter claims that this entailed speaking with locals, touring nearby jails, and seeking advice from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston.
The story on which “The Town” is based is not real. Actually, Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan is the basis for the film. So, in brief, we can say that The Town is not a true story. It is loosely based on Chuck Hogan’s novel.
Are the characters in The Town based on real people?
Although Affleck didn’t directly base the characters in The Town on real individuals, he did find real ex-cons in Boston to play as extras and add to the film’s believability. The actor and filmmaker later ran into difficulties with the government for providing criminals “arms,” but he was quick to point out that they were phony.
Ben Affleck has acted in well-known feature films since the early 1990s, putting him in the public eye for many years. He didn’t start helming feature-length films, nevertheless, until the late 2000s. Although The Town wasn’t his first film, it did gain popularity after its broad release.
The town, which was based on a factual story, is, therefore, a fictional tale and loosely based on the novel Prince.
