Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Town

Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), a former hockey prospect-turned-thief from the rough Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, robs banks with best friend Jem (Jeremy Renner) and their crew. After briefly being taken hostage by the gang, bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) becomes traumatized and falls into the arms of Doug, unaware that he was one of her abductors. Meanwhile, ruthless FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) is determined to take down the crew and their boss, Fergus the Florist (Peter Postlethwaite).


In a strange bit of irony, the nicer and more gentrified Boston seems to get, the grittier its cinema becomes. The past decade has given us Mystic River, Gone, Baby, Gone, and The Departed. The Town is certainly in the same vein (with a healthy smattering of Heat thrown in for good measure), though not quite up to the level of its cinematic forbearers.

Both the film’s strengths and shortcomings lie with Affleck, who also directed and co-wrote the script (adapting Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves). The film has a tough urban sensibility to it, and the action sequences are competent, if not exactly groundbreaking (The Dark Knight may have raised the bar for bank robbery scenes to an impossibly high level). Praise should be given, however, for somehow cobbling together a credible chase involving narrow streets and a minivan.


Performances were likewise convincing, to the point that Boston accents occasionally became indecipherably thick. Affleck, Hamm, Hall, and especially Renner (a hotheaded thug with a strong sense of loyalty) do a good job of imbuing their characters with depth and moral ambiguity, but this is one case where “conflicted” doesn’t equal “interesting.” Are we really supposed to be surprised that professional criminals still have humanity or that the FBI would resort to underhanded tactics?


Sadly, this lack of profundity permeates the film’s overly conventional plotting. Not only is the ending clichéd and predictable, but you can probably make good money betting on the victims and survivors. Unlike an Eastwood or a Scorcese film or even Affleck’s own previous effort, shocking moments are as scarce here as a Yankees fan in Fenway.


Engrossing, stark, and generally well-crafted, The Town is a serviceable crime drama which disappoints only in its inability to transcend the boundaries and expectations of its genre.


7.25/10

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Bonsai Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar (CLOSED)


NOTE: Bonsai has since closed.

Located beside the Hobby Lobby at 1315 Bridford Parkway, Bonsai offers a wide variety of sushi and Japanese entrees. Alcohol is available, the menu includes vegetarian options, and specials change daily.



Hibachi grills are typically a polarizing issue. Some love the theatricality of food being dramatically chopped and tossed on a hot grill; others balk at the communal seating. Bonsai deftly sidesteps the debate by offering hibachi-style entrees minus the fanfare. You can take your pick of chicken, steak, pork, seafood, or some combination thereof, served with rice and your choice of vegetable. The presentation leaves something to be desired – it’s all lumped together on a plate – but the food tastes better than you’d find at a mall food court establishment. A hint of blandness is easily corrected thanks to a dollop of ginger, teriyaki, or white sauce.


Spacious and booth-laden, Bonsai’s interior suggests a pricier menu than is actually available. Entrees start at an uber-reasonable $6, and sushi rolls can be had for as low as $4. You can feed yourself easily for under $10, a surprise given the amount and quality of food available.


Service at Bonsai is uneven. Servers are certainly polite, but a bit on the slow side even when there isn’t a crowd. Twice, a waiter brought out more sushi than was ordered, only to quickly realize the mistake.


Bonsai lacks the flair of other Japanese establishments, and you won’t be guaranteed a great dining experience, but the price makes it hard to pass up.


7.5/10