MovieChat Forums > The Town (2010) Discussion > So, a mob boss only has one enforcer?

So, a mob boss only has one enforcer?


On top of that, it's just kind of hard to buy Claire's character. Nothing in her characterization suggests that she would willingly aid a criminal. Yes, she fell in love with him, but he lied and traumatized her first.

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I don't buy Claire's character either, Heisenbird. Claire fell under Doug MacRay's spell, after he'd traumatized and terrorized her, and put her life, as well as everybody else's lives in that bank at risk, and then he tricked her (Claire) into thinking that he was a normal, law-abiding, upstanding citizen, when, in fact, he was a violent criminal who was wanted by the FBI for armed robbery, assault, plus Doug committed first-degree murder on top of that.

I find it hard to believe that Fergie only had one enforcer, also. This whole movie was totally unrealistic, in so many ways.

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Claire fell under Doug MacRay's spell, after he'd traumatized and terrorized her, and put her life, as well as everybody else's lives in that bank at risk, and then he tricked her (Claire) into thinking that he was a normal, law-abiding, upstanding citizen, when, in fact, he was a violent criminal who was wanted by the FBI for armed robbery, assault, plus Doug committed first-degree murder on top of that.


I think that might have been a run-on.

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I think that might have been a run-on.


How could what I said have been a run-on? Doug was a violent criminal with a long criminal record of armed robbery and assault, plus he did kill a couple of people even after having told Claire that he'd never killed anybody.

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I think they meant it was a "run on" because the whole paragraph was one sentence.

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>I find it hard to believe that Fergie only had one enforcer, also.

Seriously, Affleck's crew could have gone in there and decimated the place if they wanted with just the one guy and the old skinny mob boss.

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you'd be surprised how some guys only need 1...

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It would have to be a really, really tough enforcer for a gangster to only need one, I would think.

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A. Who says he was in the Mob?
B. Who says he didn't have more enforcers? Just because one guy is at the shop, doesn't mean that's all he has.
C. Criminals aren't always pieces of dirt. Some like what they do. Some like the money. Some have a change of heart and go straight... I know All 3 Types personally. Him getting her to fall for him is very believable.
D. This is based on Truth. Its a Film. Of course its entertainment but this ACTUALLY happened. Read the source novel. Alot of reality is in this film.

... If you've never been around this type of life, I get it... But its not as far fetched as it seems

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I have read the novel on which The Town was based and thought that it was better than the movie, because the characters were much more developed. I still think, that, in either case (the novel vs. the movie) that the Doug-Claire romance took up much too much of the story.

Also, the Town-Gown tensions here in Boston, imho, are way too high for a violent criminal and his victim to be falling in love, imho.

One also must bear in mind that a novel is fiction, and this novel is certainly no exception.

Nobody says that criminals don't have a change or heart or go straight, but a lot of them don't.

All criminals do play dirty pool, in some way or other.

Fergie Colm was a crime boss, and he ran a flower shop in C-Town as a front for what he did. Rusty was his prominent enforcer, which was clear, both in the novel and the film.

Just because I didn't grow up around that kind of life doesn't mean that my opinions are any less legitimate than yours, or anybody else's on this board.

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Im certainly not saying that. What I'm saying is that you'd be very surprised to what CERTAIN Criminals can pull off. Especially good looking/charming ones. They have a lure. It's why many crime figures have beautiful women on their arms and its not always just money. I know criminals you'd walk by on the street and have no clue, they'd look just like every other passerby. They have normal jobs, the criminal activity is the other side to their life. The film is entertainment and yes, it's not real... But C-Town was the home to these robberies at one point. The early 90s had some heavy times. Things were done in amazing fashion, drugs just destroyed most of the people involved.

Basically my main point is that if you did know people involved in crime, certain things wouldn't be as crazy as you'd think. Plenty have wives and girlfriends who know nothing. Could never tell until it's too late. Criminals come in all shapes and forms. Blue Collar to White Collar. Many would shock you. I've known some kids that would blow your mind with what they got away with. Millions of dollars at 25yrs old. All because they were organized... But as the movie shows, it never lasts forever because Law Enforcement is doing their job as well

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What you write has some points to it, kmags84, but, all too often, many of the most dangerous criminals do come off as normal, in terms of looks and/or demeanor, and seem like regular, law-abiding citizens, and do act apart from their true personality to hide their true motives, and the victim(s) all too often, aren't aware of what these guys were up, or the fact that they've been victimized, until it's too late.

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He's pretty low level not a godfather like boss

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I think Fergie is a small time guy but he exercised some kind of mind control Doug and Jem. They grew up working for him, its not as easy as you say, since there's only one enforcer so I can go one day and wipe them both if I get too fed up. But Doug didn't think he could never finish off Fergie. He did threaten him if they were to do something to Claire. He just needed to be pushed to that brink to do it. Nothing unrealistic here.

I bought Claire easily. There are all kinds of people around, none is impossible to believe. I could have met someone like her, easily upset, manipulated and vulnerable. Personally, I do wonder why did Doug fall so much for her? She seemed a bit shallow at times but Doug seem a lot more intelligent and mature guy. Just my thoughts ha.

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claire definitely was rather shallow...... and vapid, to boot. matbe that's what doug macray wanted, despite being about more intelligent.

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Why would he need lots of enforcers? It's not like he's running a huge criminal business empire, he's hiring a few goons to perform robberies.

~.~
There were three of us in this marriage
http://www.imdb.com/list/ze4EduNaQ-s/

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Fergie wasn't running a huge criminal enterprise, but the fact that he ran a flower shop in Charlestown as a front for his criminal lifestyle was sufficient enough, because he was clever enough to fool unsuspecting customers into believing that he was just an ordinary, law-abiding citizen who was running his own small business, when, in fact, he was anything but that. This, imho, made Fergie even more dangerous, which is why he only needed one enforcer.

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Most Mafia bosses only have the perception of power and thats enough.

https://youtu.be/93sGUFpVxFI

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I took it that Fergie had the one guy that was with him always but he had other goons running around out doing stuff.

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