 The Instigators is a buddy comedy that surprises with its grounded authenticity and humour. Damon and Affleck lead a strong cast in a rewatchable heist film filled with sharp banter and memorable performances.
The Instigators is nothing like you expect; if you’re expecting a combination of The Bourne Identity and Ocean’s Eleven. Far from an adrenaline-pumping rush, adrenaline merely passes through the veins while Matt Damon and Casey Affleck get into one mess after another. A buddy crime comedy, The Instigators is a throwback that tips its cap to similar movies made since the 1970s.
In his therapy session, Rory (Matt Damon) keeps his cards close to his chest. He is afraid to share his real thoughts with Dr Rivera (Hong Chau) as in reality he is quite depressed. An ex-Marine and a straight shooter all his life, he somehow ended up alone and in debt, with no one else to blame. Now, he only wishes to pay child support for his kid before the big sleep.
Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg, portraying the angry vein found on some foreheads) is looking for recruits to rob the mayor on election night. He finds Rory and Cobby (Casey Affleck) to do the dirty deed. Cobby is a seasoned criminal and an ex-convict who can’t ride his bike unless he passes the attached Breathalyzer test. Two people couldn’t be further apart. Where Rory is a man of few words, Cobby has all of them. A great delight of the movie is discovering Cobby’s character as the two leads go from preparing for the crime to committing it, to escaping from the cops and their bosses.
Rechie Dechico (Alfred Molina, playing the boss’s right-hand man while also running a bakery) is to find Rory and Cobby, who are missing with the loot, which also includes the mayor’s personal items that he’s hellbent on getting back. It makes matters worse when the duo’s third compadre kills the police commissioner, and hence, the entire police department is out for blood. The movie has more in common with The Hot Rock than Ocean’s Eleven.
When they require medical attention, they reach out to the only doctor they know, Dr. Rivera and agree to keep her hostage so she isn’t an accessory to their crimes. Chau is perfect in the role of Dr Rivera, someone who empathises with the criminals and has an actual personality versus being the filler romantic interest. In fact, the movie is full of great character actors. They all get their moment to shine but the funniest is Paul Walter Houser as Booch, an old acquaintance of Cobby assigned to finish off the thieves.
This is a unique role for Matt Damon. While he has played quiet characters who don’t reveal their thoughts (The Talented Mr. Ripley and the Bourne movies), as Rory, he is subtly expressive. His being a straight arrow all his life is a big part of his personality and the comedy comes from the differences between him and Cobby. As Cobby, Casey Affleck is the real star of this show. He’s like the grown-up version of the boy he played in Good Will Hunting, a man who’s world-weary because of life’s tough experiences but has remained an underachiever going through the motions, taking life as it comes.
The script written by Affleck and Chuck Maclean, is the real winner here. In a genre that has many greats, they have a story that’s grounded in authenticity, etching characters that are real and entertaining. The cinematography is decidedly grey as the story takes place in the dead of winter in Boston, mirroring the leads’ uninteresting lives. As a director, all Doug Liman has to do is show up, and capture the magic between the actors.
The Instigators features a car chase and since Liman directed The Bourne Identity, expectations naturally develop to see what he would do here. In the past, William Friedkin shot one of the greatest car chases for The French Connection and 14 years later set a new standard with the tension and sheer adrenaline he obtained from the car chase in To Live and Die in L.A. Unfortunately, the only excitement during the car chase in this movie is generated by the funny back-and-forth between Affleck and Chau.
This buddy crime caper delivers the goods expected from the genre, making it instantly rewatchable thanks to the screenplay and the colourful cast. In between saving their lives, Rory and Cobby bond in a non-filmy, real way that male camaraderie is seldom displayed in movies these days. Traditional wisdom might say that Rory and Cobby are too old to make new friends, but friendship is less about timing and more about shared experiences.
Cobby – ‘Can you prescribe medication or you just, like, talk Rory off a ledge once a week?’
Dr Rivera – ‘You really think I’m going to talk to you about confidential patients?’
Cobby – ‘Nah, but I’m just saying, like, don’t these guys need real treatment? Can’t see a whole village of helpless little kids get annihilated by a SCUD missile or whatever and then be like, ”Oh, tell me about your childhood, and you’ll be fine.”’
Dr Rivera – ‘Okay, first of all, you’re an idiot. Second of all, Rory receives excellent treatment. And lastly, I have an MD, which is what you need to prescribe medication.’
Cobby – ‘Okay. I did not know that.’