Picture this: a Boston-set crime caper starring none other than Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, directed by Doug Liman of Bourne movie fame. Sounds promising, right? Well, The Instigators delivers the big names but stumbles in its storytelling.
We’ve got Matt Damon playing Rory, an ex-Marine down on his luck and in desperate need of money to pay child support. Casey Affleck is Cobby, a troublemaking ex-con just out of prison. The two unlikely allies get pulled into a botched heist by a shady local crime boss. Their target? Dirty cash being stashed by a corrupt mayor on election night.
Of course, as these things tend to go, the job doesn’t quite go as planned. With nothing left to steal, Rory and Cobby are suddenly on the run from both the police and the criminals they’ve crossed paths with. Pursued across Boston, their only hope is a most unconventional ally: Rory’s therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera, played by the talented Hong Chau.
Now I should point out that with its ensemble of big-name actors and the premise of an action-packed manhunt, The Instigators had all the ingredients needed for an entertaining ride. And truthfully, there are moments when the movie finds its footing, mostly thanks to the enjoyable banter between leads Damon and Affleck. But more often than not, it gets bogged down in a sluggish plot and underdeveloped characters. The pacing is uneven, with a back-and-forth tone that never settles into a groove.
A Night on the Run
This Boston-set crime caper introduces us to our two reluctant heroes: Matt Damon plays Rory, a troubled ex-marine down on his luck, and Casey Affleck is Cobby, a troublemaking ex-con just out of the big house. Rory is desperate to earn some cash to pay mounting debts and child support, so he can try to reconnect with his son. Cobby spends his days drinking at the local bar, looking for ways to cause chaos.
The pair cross paths when they’re recruited for a job by sinister crime boss Mr. Besegai. He wants them to back his man Scalvo in robbing the reelection party of corrupt Mayor Miccelli. According to their plan, Scalvo will sneak into the event and steal a safe filled with the mayor’s ill-gotten cash donations. It sounds simple enough.
On the night of the party, Rory and Cobby stake out Miccelli’s luxury apartment, waiting for the signal. But things don’t go exactly as planned. Scalvo announces that the mayor has unexpectedly lost the election, so the safe is now empty. Their target has vanished into thin air.
In a panic, Scalvo decides to rob the mayor personally. A confrontation ensues, and Scalvo is shot dead. Rory and Cobby make a run for it, but not before Cobby is grazed by a bullet in the ensuing chaos. With nothing left to steal and a dead crew member, the botched heist has thoroughly soured.
Now fugitives from both the law and their criminal associates, the bumbling pair find an unlikely ally in Rory’s VA therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera. Struggling with suicidal thoughts, Rory convinces the good doctor to “help him out” one more time by posing as their hostage.
What follows is a rip-roaring night on the run across Boston. With the entire police force on their tail, led by a no-nonsense detective, and Besegai’s psychotic henchmen in hot pursuit, Rory, Cobby, and Dr. Rivera must evade capture at every turn. Their contentious bickering and clashing personalities are as entertaining as the high-speed chases.
Though they are complete novices at crime, Rory and Cobby’s instincts and teamwork continue to keep them one step ahead. However, with their pasts catching up and personal issues bubbling to the surface, will they be able to trust each other when it matters most? One thing’s for sure: this crazy ride is far from over.
Cast Chemistry Drives a Fun Ride in The Instigators
The on-screen dynamic between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck makes The Instigators a thoroughly enjoyable film. The two have an easy rapport built from their years of friendship, allowing their characters’ contentious relationship to shine.
Damon plays Rory, a troubled veteran hoping to get his life back on track. He takes the job seriously and approaches it logically, which puts him at odds with Cobby’s go-with-the-flow attitude. Damon underplays Rory as simmering beneath the surface, conveying entrenched anger and frustration without showiness. This nuanced performance anchors the movie.
By contrast, Affleck relishes the role of Cobby, an unfiltered motormouth with a zero filter. He brings comic zest by playing a guy who never stops talking, even when it clearly annoys Rory. Yet Affleck ensures we understand Cobby’s heart—he’s lonely and lashing out due to past hurts. It’s a skillful balancing act that keeps audiences engaged.
The sparks truly fly when Damon and Affleck butt heads. Their insults and jabs feel authentically sibling-like, spiked with real affection. Even in dire situations, they can’t resist needling each other. This palpable chemistry carries the film through some convoluted patches in the story.
Strong support likewise comes from Hong Chau, who lights up the screen with her no-nonsense therapist caught up in the boys’ scheme. Chau plays well off Damon and Affleck, holding her own in lively exchanges. Her care for Rory’s wellbeing feels genuine.
Among the villains, Michael Stuhlbarg stands out as a sleazy crime boss who radiates a slithery menace. Veteran actors Ron Perlman and Ving Rhames also lend their talents, though the script curiously sidelines them post-setup. Still, this cast brings the necessary energy and humor to keep audiences engaged in The Instigators’ humorous hijinks.
Above all, it’s the sparkling rapport between good friends Damon and Affleck that makes The Instigators a very fun ride indeed. Their easy camaraderie and ability to spar convincingly on-screen provide the heart driving this entertaining caper.
Doug Liman Struggles to Wrangle the Instigators
Director Doug Liman takes on a real challenge with The Instigators, attempting to blend crime caper comedy with dramatic weight. It’s an ambitious combo, but one that largely eludes Liman’s grasp.
The movie tries to inject emotional resonance into Rory and Cobby’s backstories, with Rory desperate to reconnect with his son. But these moments sit awkwardly against the lighter crime shenanigans. Liman can’t nail the right tone, wavering between grit and grins without finding harmony.
The action is where Liman’s expertise should shine through. Yet while the car chases generate some thrills, they also feel ho-hum and lacking in tension. William Goldenberg’s editing keeps things moving briskly but lacks the visual dynamism of Liman’s best work.
Some technical aspects merit praise. Cinematographer Barry Peterson nicely captures Boston’s rugged locales. And costume designer Ann Roth outfits the cast believably in worn fabrics befitting hard-scrabble lives.
Sadly, Liman’s direction never manages to draw these assets together into a cohesive whole. The film drifts erratically from one mode to the next without settling confidently into a groove. Liman wrestles with balancing genre expectations but ultimately loses control of his material.
With his experience directing quirky crimers, Liman should have been ideal to marry humor and humanity here. It’s a letdown; he doesn’t hit the right notes, wasting the potential in this talented cast and their characters’ compelling story strands. In the end, The Instigators remains an intriguing missed opportunity.
Facing Fears and Finding Healing
The Instigators takes us on a wild ride through Boston, but beneath the surface lies a deeper exploration of mental health, dysfunction, and seeking redemption. While Rory and Cobby may seem like bumbling fools at first, their journeys showcase personal growth through facing fears and finding healing.
Rory suffers from depression and thoughts of suicide due to pressures in his life. Desperate to reconnect with his son, he impulsively joins the ill-fated heist with little regard for the risks. At first, just going through motions, he’s withdrawn from his therapist and unable to open up. But being thrown into chaos with Cobby forces him out of isolation.
Through their clashes and capers, Rory learns to live in the moment instead of ruminating on problems he can’t control. By the film’s end, he finds renewed purpose and faces his demons, showing how embracing life’s adventure—even involuntarily—can lift that darkness. It’s a powerful message of mental health awareness.
Cobby also struggles with dysfunction, lacking direction due to past mistakes. But his constant prattling masks deeper insecurities, and he self-medicates with drinks. Teaming up with the serious Rory brings balance while allowing Cobby’s humor to shine through tough situations. Slowly opening up in return, he starts to address issues rather than drown them out.
Even Dr. Donna breaks rules to help Rory, showing her willingness to meet patients where they’re at rather than rigid protocol. And while far from experts, the accidental outlaws work as a team, proving redemption possible through human connection and taking life by the reins. Together, they demonstrate how facing fears with friends helps smooth the weak spots.
Beneath frenetic action and banter, The Instigators ultimately celebrate finding purpose and healing within yourself. It’s a heartfelt reminder that life’s happiest surprises often arise from chaotic detours and that confronting hard truths with a support system allows wounds to mend.
Celebrating Chaos over Criminals
The Instigators draws inevitable comparisons to slick heist films like Ocean’s Eleven. Both team oddball outsiders together for an unlikely job, complete with elaborate planning. But where Ocean’s succeeds with precision, The Instigators find fun in fumbling.
The directors’ differences also shine through. Steven Soderbergh crafted Ocean’s as a stylish machine, hitting every smooth criminal beat. Doug Liman embraces chaos over finesse, prioritizing snappy banter between Rory and Cobby over their boneheaded botches.
Yet for all its mishaps, The Instigators energizes in a way Ocean’s relaxed professionalism sometimes lacks. Liman sprinkles bursts of Bourne-esque car crashes that entertain where precise plots might bore. And the improvisational spirit lets characters developmentally stumble into laughs rather than reciting practiced punches.
Similar anarchic energy flows through Liman’s other works. The Bourne Identity thrives on its amnesiac hero flailing to piece together his identity. Even Roadhouse finds a spark, reimagining its brawler protagonist as a philosophical bar owner. Liman understands kinetic fun comes from characters openly struggling rather than stagnantly succeeding.
The same balance balances Matt Damon’s and Casey Affleck’s strengths. Where Damon plays more serious roles, Affleck loosens inhibitions with witty whimsy. Their yin-yang sparring injects The Instigators with vivacious verve, absent from stale stock roles. Together, flaws and all, they energize in a refreshingly unpolished package.
So while lacking Ocean’s silver-tongued sophistication, The Instigators locate laughs in stumbles rather than slickness. Embracing unpredictable tangents over tightly-plotted pathways, it celebrates the gleeful messiness of hapless humans over hypothetical flawlessness. For those seeking surprises over scripted precision, its casual charms might just hit the spot.
Revisiting old friends
To wrap up, The Instigators offered some high points among areas needing work. At its best, the script tapped into that history between Damon and Affleck, which made their dynamic so fun to watch. Two old pals clearly at ease in each other’s company can cover a lot of flaws.
Their back-and-forth had a realness missing elsewhere, like moments that could have used deeper development. Supporting roles warranted greater care too. Yet through it all, the heart of two troubled men learning from each other still came through, giving the film an endearing thread.
Of course, not all fell perfectly into place around our leads. Pacing in spots felt a touch uneven, and the tone veered between genres without fully committing. More polish could have gone a long way.
Even so, I believe damn near anyone with past favorites or friends of their own will find something appealing here. Flaws and all, works featuring sincere bonds between talented people trying their best can still resonate strongly.
In the end, The Instigators remains an imperfect but pleasurable way to reconnect with old friends on screen. And isn’t catching up with loved ones over mistakes made and lessons learned part of what life is all about? I think I’ll remember this film fondly for bringing that sentiment to the screen.
The Review
The Instigators
In conclusion, The Instigators proves to be an imperfect but enjoyable film, largely buoyed by the charismatic performances of its leads. While the script lacks cohesion at times and could have benefited from tighter editing, Damon and Affleck share a crackling chemistry that elevates their scenes together above the sum of the movie's parts. Not without its flaws, The Instigators succeeds more as a showcase of these actors' comedic talents than a tightly plotted thriller. Ultimately, the film is worth watching for fans of the stars seeking fun, low-stakes entertainment.
PROS
- Excellent comedic chemistry between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck
- Entertaining cat-and-mouse elements with the authorities
- Humorous depiction of the bungled heist and ensuing chaos
CONS
- Lack of focus and cohesion in the editing
- Narrative moves between genres inconsistently
- Supporting roles and subplots could be more developed
