I've seen a lot of comments regarding the authenticity of this movie. I have to agree that it's not realistic given the state of the city today. If the movie had been set back in the early to mid eighties (as the main part of the action) it would have been much more realistic. At that time, Boston was a grittier city. There were many parts of the city that were dangerous after dark (like Chinatown or what used to be the "combat zone"). All these areas have been gentrified and it's kind of funny to see see them portrayed as dark and dangerous (about the only danger you face now is running into a drunken tourist).
Despite what I said above, the movie is excellent. Going down as one of my favorites, not because of the realism (lets face it, nearly all modern movies require you to suspend a whole lot of disbelief) but because of the tremendous performances of the cast and the overall story. If you can find fault in a movie based on the plot, acting, or some other attribute of the movie which causes it damage, that's fine. However, try to take the "realism" of the movie in relation to its setting, time period, or geographic authenticity with a grain of salt.
Despite what I said above, the movie is excellent. Going down as one of my favorites, not because of the realism (lets face it, nearly all modern movies require you to suspend a whole lot of disbelief) but because of the tremendous performances of the cast and the overall story. If you can find fault in a movie based on the plot, acting, or some other attribute of the movie which causes it damage, that's fine. However, try to take the "realism" of the movie in relation to its setting, time period, or geographic authenticity with a grain of salt.