Classic or not?


I remember not seeing HEAT until about 2000, but even by that point, it already had a reputation as being a seminal masterpiece. I only heard about it because it was regarded as such a classic, even just five years after its release.

In recent years, there have been a lot of crime dramas and heist films, but none have really even come close to being as seminal and highly influential.

It's been six years, is THE TOWN a classic? I enjoyed it, but like many modern crime dramas, it seems to borrow more from its predecessors than reinvent what's great about them. Do you regard it as a classic or does it need more time? When I think of crime auteurs, I think of Melville and Mann, both combining cool, stylish aesthetics with gritty realism, but now that the latter is near the end of his career, who will take up that artistic ambition of being the next great crime drama director? Is it Ben Affleck? John Hillcoat?

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As somebody who saw The Town when it first came out, and afew times after that, I sincerely don't think that this film could even begin to compete with the great classic films such as West Side Story, Lawrence of Arabia, or any of the other great, golden-old-but-keeper classics. The Town, imho, is much too much like a feature-length, made-for-TV soap opera than a regular movie, plus the cast is't particularly good, plus The Town starts to fall apart as a movie, pretty much rightt after the opening bank heist.

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This movies a classic it's 1 of them movies that whenever it's on you watch it

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To each their own, but I still disagree. The Town, imho, will never be a classic.

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I love this movie. Not sure what classic even means but to mean, it's less about the heists and more about the characters. Something about them that feels real.

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It's a really good movie but it doesn't have the feeling of a classic to me.

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Maybe it needs more time?

I'm not sure it'll ever get to that status. Great movie. I watch it every time. Like right now.

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The Town, imho, is not a well-enough developed film for it ever to become a classic.

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It's too bland and forgettable, like its title.

I don't think Hollywood even makes "classic" movies anymore.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

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This:

It's too bland and forgettable, like its title.

I don't think Hollywood even makes "classic" movies anymore.


is absolutely and totally spot-on, Degree7! The Town will never, ever be a classic. It's too much like a feature-length, made-for-TV soap opera to be even the next thing to a classic.

Hollywood has clearly run out of creative ideas, which is why they no longer make classic films. That being said, the best thing that could and should be done would be to introduce Hollywood's great classics to the younger generation(s) to see, instead of doing all these re-makes and sequels as updates of films, etc.

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+1

I too wish that Film Revival houses, theaters playing old films both obscure and classics, could make a comeback. Or perhaps the multiplexes which have an IMAX screen or devote a couple of screens to 3-D bookings could spot a single screen to old films as revivals. On TV, AMC and Turner Classics try to do this but poorly.

Watching "The Town" - I prefer older films to new releases, I was struck by perhaps one relevant issue. Acting styles have changed considerably in recent years, period. The characters in this film, such as Renner's, can be explosive at times, but a low affect pervades modern cinema and their performances, particularly Affleck's. Actors underplay or adopt monotone readings (stars of the indie hit "Juno" a perfect example of this). What would an audience from the '40s or '50s have made of the approach of a "Napoleon Dynamite"? They were used to the ebullience of Mickey Rooney.

Then there are the rather hammy and "above it all" or almost meta-character players like Sam Jackson and Kevin Spacey, oddly brilliant together that one time in "The Negotiator" but otherwise thoroughly unwatchable for me. And don't get me started on Nic Cage, my least favorite "big-name" actor of all time, right from the beginning of his odd career. (I met him in NYC with Vincent Spano and Matt Dillon in 1983 at the time of "Rumble Fish", and was immediately impressed with the other two but not him.)

The great acting of the silent era (Gish, Gaynor) is unknown to modern young audiences. Great actresses of the '30s have severely dated styles - Miriam Hopkins being the most famous in this regard. It is almost impossible to fairly judge her performances today with the different mindset than audiences had when she made her films.

The fabulous male actors of that period still hold up well for me, but I suspect would seem silly to many film buffs of today: Edward G., George Arliss, Paul Muni. It's no surprise that Gregory Peck of "To Kill A Mockingbird" is still so popular today, as his style, somewhat stiff in his day (compared to flamboyance of the Brando school) fits in well with low-key modernism. Look at recent Ryan Gosling performances -he practically disappears since he is being so subtle and laid-back. Similarly, the facetious comedy superstars like Bill Murray - never would have passed muster back in the '40s heyday of such a different style with Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Eddie Bracken, etc. for comedy.

So I'm afraid we can't really compare these different eras- I prefer the older films and younger fans will mostly prefer newer ones. In crime films give me film noir from the '40s or gangster cinema of the '30s. Michael Mann, Walter Hill and Abel Ferrara belong to a different era and that's fine for them and their admirers.

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I've always liked films of the 1960's, the 1970's, and even the 1980's and'90's, but, as I'd pointed out earlier, The Town can't and never will be able to compete with the classics, especially those of the 1960's and some of the 1970's.

Since most of the repertory Art movie houses have long since gone the way of movie theatre heaven, I think that the best that could be done would be for more of the big-time cineplex theatres put at least one or two of their movie screens aside for great, golden oldie but keeper classics.

Maybe, if we keep asking them, they might. In the meantime, the best thing to do is to suggest favorite classic films to be played in the few repertory, independent cinemas that're left here in the United States.

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I doubt it will be considered a classic like Heat is. Heat is a masterpiece, and while this is one of my favorite films, and a very good one at that, it would be hard for any other heist movie to have a long lasting reputation like Heat will.

Plus Heat came first, so that always gives the advantage to it. That doesn't take anything away from The Town tho, I'll watch it every time it's on tv

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The Town is good but I don't see it ever elevating itself into classic territory.

The only "classic" part of this movie is this exchange.


Doug MacRay: I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people.

James Coughlin: ...Whose car are we gonna' take?


Renner is clearly the best thing about this movie.

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Renner is clearly the best thing about this movie.


Runner's role of "Jem" is the only really believable character in The Town, also.

There's no way that The Town could ever become a classic. It's not classic film material.

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