The town in question is Affleck’s home ground of Boston, where ‘there are over 300 bank robberies…every year’.

Doug MacRay (Affleck) is a bank robber who bumps into one of his traumatised victims, Claire (Rebecca Hall), shortly after a job.

A relationship develops between the two and this starts to endanger MacRay, whose gang is being investigated by an FBI team led by agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame).

The film is directed by Affleck, who (alongside Peter Craig) also wrote the screenplay, an adaptation of The Prince of Thieves, a book by Chuck Hogan.

Blake Lively also stars as the sister of one of the robbers and Pete Postlethwaite plays a fine baddie.

Overall Affleck’s career has been an uneven one, moving from Oscar winning highs on Good Will Hunting to cinematic lows like Gigli and then climbing once more to acclaim with Gone Baby Gone and Hollywoodland.

Affleck’s directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, received positive reviews. The film was also set in the more ‘disadvantaged’ parts of Boston and featured its director as a minor character, but this time he’s taking a starring role.

Can Affleck repeat his success behind the camera while starring in front of it as well?

Watch the trailer here: