5. The Town
"One blue collar Boston neighbourhood has produced more bank robbers and armoured car thieves than anywhere in the world.""'Bank robbery became like a trade in Charlestown, passed down from father to son.' - Federal Agent, Boston Robbery Task Force" These are the opening word displayed on screen before the action in the Ben Affleck-led and directed The Town even starts. Before this film goes any further than the title cards, what it has to do is establish its main protagonists as believable banks robbers, cold calculating individuals with a brutal streak who wont be caught and arrested by the police within the first 10 minutes - and that is precisely what we get and that is precisely why it's such an adrenaline kick to watch. The opening dialogue is a voice-over where Afflecks character establishes how meticulous and well-drilled his crew are. We hear every crucial detail about the guards who deliver the boxes to the bank they are about to hit. Everything has been thought of and nothing left to chance. Then comes the robbery itself. They dont mess around. The cash draws are ransacked, they get into the safe and get the cash, while ejecting all the CCTV tapes and sticking them in the canteen microwave. Bleach is poured over everything to destroy forensic evidence. When the crew realises the silent alarm has been pulled they take a hostage for insurance, eventually releasing her on a waterfront after making their escape. This opening scene is tense, dramatic and heart-pounding and it pulls you into the film right away. The crew gets away clean within five minutes and the scene closes on one of the most effective bank robberies to ever take place on the big screen.