We’ve seen buddy heist comedies before, especially when the perpetrators are a fair bit on the amateur side, but that doesn’t make them necessarily less enjoyable. There is a beauty to the comfort of familiarity, and not every film needs to have something profound to say or gut-wrench you to emotional oblivion, especially in this political climate. The Instigators, even with the might of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck’s life-long friendship, dances on the line of its enjoyability. Story choices and execution sometimes lean towards indulgence over substance, but not without revealing the underutilized potential and heart at its core.
Directed by Doug Liman, The Instigators pairs Rory (Damon), an ex-marine, with Cobby (Affleck), a veteran crook, bundling them together as the classic atypical dynamic duo to pull off an epic job of criminal proportions. Rory isn’t that bad of a guy. He just wants to make things right with his marriage, his son, and his depressive suicidal ideation. The pay-out from the intended heist seems to be his answer, so he’s not afraid to learn on the job and take notes. Cobby is the more experienced brains of the operation, a chatty-mouthed commentator and charismatic mob boss-cum-crook caricature, albeit one that prefers to work alone; his irritable mood, perhaps stemming from his recent prison stint, also taking things into account.
The two are on-boarded and briefed for this totally not ill-thought out gig by local Boston crime boss Mr Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his lackey Scalvo (Jack Harlow). The gig involves robbing a corrupt Mayor, Micelli (Ron Perlman), during a celebratory event alongside his political opponent, Mark Choi (Ronnie Cho). Of course, like any heist comedy, things go terribly wrong, and it’s left to Rory and Cobby to pick up the pieces; a local baker, Richie (Alfred Molina), serving as a stakeholder accomplice, Frank (Ving Rhames), tasked as the muscle, and psychiatrist Donna Rivera (Hong Chau, endearing), who blurs the lines between her professional and personal relationship with Rory, all adding flames to the proverbial fire
Now, despite such a powerhouse cast, where everybody gives their all, the story material (without spoiling anything) ranges from rushed set-pieces to contrived developments, despite some hard-fought efforts to get itself out of its cookie-cutter heist formula. From the get-go, it’s a classic case of not-enough established development for the characters to make them likeable, or even motivated enough, before, during and after their derelict pursuits.
Throughout you can feel Liman striving to bring his hallmark action and comedy skills to bear. Though he worked with familiar premises in previous features as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Edge of Tomorrow, they had a certain disciplined restraint to them that helped emphasise their individual charm and spectacle. Here, such falls short due to a clear indulgence, especially in the comedic moments, which could have been easily trimmed as to focus more on character subtext and psyche. In return, this would have assisted in making the action more meaningful.
Damon’s oddball performance helps highlight his character’s awkward persona, and it’s a refreshing, welcome contrast to Affleck, whose sassy, sarcastic Cobb occasionally borders on excess. There are some clever, hilarious instances of dialogue that made me personally laugh out loud, especially when Dr Rivera’s ‘person-centred therapy’ is introduced. Unfortunately, such successful comedic moment is outweighed by the less ideal narrative counterparts that drag the story further from its meaningful pursuit.
Predictability doesn’t have to be compensated by squeezing out the comedy of your combined talent and set-pieces. It pays to level the landing before you start prepping the celebratory execution. There is fun and laughs to be had throughout The Instigators, with moments that suggest the potential this film had during its initial inception, but it’s ultimately overridden with seeming creative insecurities.
THREE STARS OUT OF FIVE
The Instigators is streaming on Apple TV+ from August 9th.
