The greatest stories — fiction or nonfiction, literary or cinematic, are stories of redemption. The protagonist faces his past, rights a wrong, gains insight and emerges as hero. Often, he overcomes great odds or rises from a background that would cripple lesser folk. This concept of redemption is doubly applicable in the crime-drama THE TOWN. The story is a classic redemption tale. But as a cinematic project, so is this very good film by Ben Affleck, an actor/writer/director who has an unfortunate recent history of clunkers. Fortunately for us, THE TOWN is no GIGLI.

Hollywood hunk Affleck has had a rough 10 years, film-wise. With the exceptions of HOLLYWOODLAND and his directorial debut film GONE BABY GONE, his film career has been lackluster. His roles have garnered him nine Razzie award nominations since 1998. THE TOWN can be considered Affleck's redeeming big-screen effort. It's tight, interesting, exciting, and fun to watch. Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan, THE TOWN tells the story of Doug MacRay, a wicked-smart criminal mastermind.

Charlestown, a working-class neighborhood in Boston, is rich in colonial history. Centered around the towering Bunker Hill monument, it extends down a narrow neck of land north of Boston proper. The Town, as it is known to locals, is infamous as the breeding ground of a specialized kind of criminal: bank and armored-car robbers. Doug MacRay (Affleck) masterminds these kinds of heists, assisted by three childhood friends: Jem Coughlin (Jeremy Renner), Gloansy Magloan (Slaine) and Des Elden (Owen Burke). They are an efficient and successful gang of theives. After their 6th successful robbery, MacRay must keep close tabs on bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) who is also from Charlestown and may run into and recognize the gang members on the street. As their relationship grows and deepens into romance, MacRay realizes that he is ready to move past a life of crime. Dogged by FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm), Doug begs Claire to run away with him to start a quiet, anonymous life together. But local crime-boss Fergie Colm (Pete Postlethwaite) forces MacRay into one last job: robbing the cash room at Fenway Park, "The Cathedral of Boston." Can MacRay pull off a crime so audacious and escape to obscurity?

The strengths of THE TOWN lie in the very talented cast and some effective directorial choices. Jeremy Renner lifts the character of Jem above the typical petty thug and into a post-traumatic rage that pulses on the screen. Veteran character actor Peter Postlethwaite's face is a pocked fungus on the screen, twisted with greed and evil. Most surprising is a heartbreaking performance by Blake Lively as Christa, a pathetic, desperate oxycodone addict. Fans who know her best as television's "Gossip Girl" will gain new respect for this display of true dramatic-acting chops. Affleck's MacRay is appropriately conflicted as he chooses between loyalties. Jon Hamm's performance is a clunker; his matinee-idol good looks can't carry him here. His portrayal of Frawley is plodding at best and disappointingly amateurish at worst. A single scene featuring the always-brilliant Chris Cooper as MacRay's imprisoned father Stephen is a highlight.

Affleck's directorial expertise is growing, and it shows. He has an affinity for the close-up, and most of the close-ups in THE TOWN are not pretty. They underscore the brutality of career crime while reinforcing the close personal relationships that are the true driving forces in the film. THE TOWN has a quick pace, and Affleck manages to make his characters understandable, even if we are not sympathetic to them. These are murderers and robbers, after all, and they are motivated by nothing but greed. But we do feel their pain and frustration with their dead-end beer-soaked lives. The major chase scene through the streets of Boston is one of the finest I have ever seen — it's breathtaking and terrifying. The robbery scenes are exciting, but the intimate romantic scenes seem a bit gratuitous. Affleck seems more comfortable with violence than skin. One failure of Affleck's direction is an inability to connect with the Town itself. Although there are plenty of aerial views of the neighborhood, and a few scene-setting shots of the quaint townhomes that line the hilly streets of Charlestown, the title city falls short of being a true character. Beyond the broad accents and a few landmarks, THE TOWN could have been set in any major city with an urban ballpark.

With strong characters, great talent, a fine story and plenty of action, Ben Affleck has a winner with THE TOWN. Heed the rating — there is lots of graphic violence and the script is very liberally peppered with profanities. The blood and vulgarity feel completely authentic in this gritty, dirty-water tale of redemption in Boston. Four stars for Affleck's latest effort!