The Instigators
Rory (Matt Damon) tells his therapist Dr. Rivera (Hong Chau) that he’s messed things up so badly that he told himself if things didn’t get better in a year, he’d cash in his ticket – about a year ago. When the former Marine gets a chance at a one time heist, he sees an opportunity to make things right with the son he hasn’t seen or supported. There are only a number of problems, chief among them that Mr. Besegai’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) plot to rob Boston Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman) of illicit cash contributions on a runoff election night takes too many things for granted in “The Instigators.”
Laura's Review: B
You can’t get any more Boston than setting a film there with Ben Affleck producing and his young brother Casey costarring with buddy Matt and cowriting with ‘City on a Hill’s’ Chuck MacLean. Director Doug Liman ("The Bourne Identity," 2024's "Road House") shot this mismatched buddy action comedy on a tight schedule and while crowd scenes lack authenticity, Boston flavor is genuine and he’s staged a rambunctious and geographically correct car chase from the Back Bay into the streets of Cambridge, even bringing his movie to a climax in Boston’s City Hall.
Rory’s soon-to-be-partner-in-crime, Cobby Murphy (Casey Affleck) is introduced using a neighborhood kid to breathe into the breathalyzer device locking the ignition of his motorcycle before he hits Mr. Kelly’s (André De Shields) bar where Besegai lays out the plan to rob Miccelli of his ill gotten gains, expected to be about $300K of which Cobby, Rory and coordinator Scalvo (Jack Harlow) will receive 10% cuts. His partner, Richie Dechico (Alfred Molina), contributes donuts. Rory has questions, like what if Miccelli’s opponent Mark Choi (Ronnie Cho), wins the runoff and after that’s brushed off insists he needs $32,480. Besegai reluctantly agrees when Rory accepts it as a fixed rate even if the final count is higher.
Of course everything goes wrong, beginning with the trio’s motorboat getting stuck on its approach to an election night party that has fizzled with a result only Rory dared anticipate and, surprisingly, he’s the only one to improvise when one thing after another goes wrong. But when Scalvo inadvertently leads them into the mayor’s private gathering and decides to rob them of personal items, he ends up dead and, after escaping in an armored van, Rory and a gunshot Cobby end up holding something the mayor wants back at any cost.
Liman keeps things in a constant state of movement, Damon and Affleck’s banter so rat-a-tat that even when the action slows down, the pace doesn’t, Damon always questioning, Affleck cynically wisecracking. Their dynamic takes on a new twist when Damon hooks his shrink into the action as a faux hostage to treat Cobby’s gunshot wound and she ends up going along for their high speed chase, determined at all costs to save Rory from his own worst instincts. After a string of roles in such films as “The Whale,” “The Menu” and “Showing Up,” Chau is turning out to be one of our most versatile supporting players and she adds her own flavor of comedy to this film’s mix. They’re actually an endearing trio.
While some of the plotting is a little loosey goosey (like just how Rory got involved with these guys in the first place), Miccelli’s stolen gold ‘bracelet’ actually proves a clever link to the film’s explosive climax where Rory and Cobby masquerade as Boston firefighters. The ensemble is stacked with even more familiar faces like Paul Walter Hauser as Booch, sent by Besegai to clean up loose ends, Ving Rhames as intimidating Boston detective Frank Toomey, sent by Miccelli to retrieve his heirloom and Toby Jones as Miccelli’s hapless attorney.
“The Instigators” is sorely in need of a better title, but judge this book by its contents not its cover and you’ll enjoy an amusing ride.
Robin's Review: B
Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are robbers – one a newbie, the other a pro - but they have a problem. They botch a major job and must go on the run. Before that, though, they must recruit Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to go along for the ride in “The Instigators.”
Doug Liman reunites with his “The Bourne Identity (2002)” franchise star, Matt Damon, and takes on a “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” style heist caper. Here, Damon, as Rory, is a desperate man. He is guilt stricken and possibly suicidal over failing to support his son, financially, and needs $32,480. Cobby is a professional crook who needs the job – and money.
The mayoral race rages in Boston and the corrupt incumbent, Mayor Muccelli (Ron Perlman), has amassed a ton of money in campaign donations, and plans to win and keep the money. The plan, masterminded by local crime boss, Mr. Besagai (Michael Stahlberg), is to send in his team, including Rory and Cobby, in a middle of the night raid on campaign headquarters and take the bundle of loot.
That was the plan, but as they say, “The best made plans of mice and men often go awry.” And, boy, do they go awry here. First, when they open the safe, there are thousands, not millions. Apparently, there was so much cash that the safe was emptied – twice – by the mayor’s minion. Now, they have a dilemma: they commit a crime but get almost no ill-gotten gains. And, the cops and the mob are after them. And, Cobby gets shot.
So, on the lam and one of them bleeding, Rory comes up with an idea: go to his therapist, Dr. Rivera, who happens to be an MD, and have her fix Cobby up. But, the cops are after them for the death of one of their own and it is shoot to kill. The doctor volunteers to be a “hostage” to protect the guys.
From here it is a steady ramping up of the action with car chases and getaways, including a race between a fire engine and really big armored personnel carrier. There is the usual good natured banter as Cobby challenges Dr. Rivera and on-the-fly therapy session takes place – to cute results.
The three stars are joined by a bevy of veteran actors, from Stahlberg and Perlman to Alfred Molina, Toby Jones and Rob Gronkowski and not-so-well knowns. They populate the many characters well and help carry the action and story through to its amusing conclusion.
The three main characters are the ones to watch as the chemistry between them all is palpable, probably because Damon has past experience with both Affleck and Chau. It shows. It is a buddy road movie that makes you root for the trio as they try to evade the law and do the right thing.
Apple releases "The Instigators" in select theaters on 8/2/24. It begins streaming on Apple TV+ on 8/9/24.
