'The Instigators' Shines with Some Well-Rounded Characters
That's one heck of a way to start a thriller. Doug Liman's The Instigators is attention-grabbing from its opening moments and doesn't let go. It's completely unpredictable, with the exception of a couple of scenes. The characters are well-rounded, the action is intense, and the comedy is hilarious. The Instigators isn't a straight comedy, at least at first. The movie starts on a grim note. Rory (Matt Damon) is speaking to his Therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera (Hong Chau). He tells her that he's reached a point in his life where he's ready to kill himself. The way Rory tells Donna that he's ready to cash in his ticket isn't over dramatic or weepy. It's just a guy saying he's ready to die, like he's talking about furniture. The scene is realistically handled. A lot of times, when people are on the verge of suicide, they accept it like it's just another day. Yes, there's more to it. Certainly, there's fear when it comes to the moment you put a gun to your head. But what do most people act like in public before they die? Just fine. And then, poof, they're gone.
The next character we meet is Cobby (Casey Affleck). When we first see him, he's embracing his son until the woman taking care of him (probably from Child Protective Services) angrily demands that Cobby get away from the boy immediately. These are the two protagonists we're going to stick with, and we already know a lot about them in very little time. Rory is a man who has lost the will to live, while Cobby wants to live for his son. Both men have disappointing lives with not much to look forward to. Fortunately for them, an opportunity arises where they might actually see some light at the of the tunnel.
A local mob guy is looking for a team of people for a heist. Boston (because it wouldn't be a film with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in if it didn't take place in Boston again) is hosting a runoff election. It's almost a guarantee that Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman) will win again, as he wins every four years. All the attendees who are paying to go to the event are transactionaing through cash only. No line of credit is accepted. All of that money is delivered in bags that head straight to Micelli without a cent of it going to the Democratic Party. It's the perfect opportunity for heist. It's dicey. They're stealing from the Mayor, but the payoff is well worth it.
Rory needs thirty-two thousand, four hundred and eighty dollars exactly so he can financially aid his son. He can physically see his child but doesn't have the courage to look him in the eye if he can't support him. Cobby and Rory share something in common. They both have children they want to be with. Why Cobby can't see his boy is never addressed again in the film, which I don't know why that is. With both characters clearly needing the same thing you'd think they'd explore more of Cobby's situation with his son. But it goes unaddressed throughout the rest of the film. Instead, Affleck becomes more of the jokey sidekick who finds humor, even in the direst of circumstances. Affleck is okay as a funny guy, but he can't do funny the way Matt Damon can. Case in point: where Matt played a bimbo in The Informant. Damon and Affleck's roles could have been reversed as Affleck is such a straight man it's more believable to see him as the suicidal one.
When the heist goes underway, a third team member tags along who might win the award for the dumbest and most annoying character of the year award. Salvo (Jack Harlow) is an insufferable idiot who acts like a hotshot before the heist and then immediately shows his true colors during it. During the heist, everything goes wrong. The blueprints the team was given were inaccurate. That, or nobody knew where they were going which leads to disaster. Most of the blame could be placed on Salvo, who wanted to parade through everything without thinking. Things escalate from bad to worse, leading to some extremely comical, tense moments.
Miraculously, Rory and Cobby make it out alive without being arrested by the police. After the heist, the film becomes even more absurd, but in the best possible way. We revisit Dr. Rivera, who willingly takes herself as a hostage so Rory doesn't kill himself. Most shrinks would just call the men in the white coats to take the patient away when they threatened suicide. But Dr. Donna Riverra puts her life in danger to keep her patient alive. That's good writing. We see how the Therapist has a clear goal. Her flaw is that she cares for other people to the extent that she might be caring too much. Rivera has a clear incentive. As does Rory. It doesn't matter if Rory gets killed or arrested. He just wants money for his son. Cobby, the script just forgets about his motives other than to make money and stay alive.
The Instigators is an all-star cast film, and they deliver. Hong Chau displays a great deal of reserve you'd typically see in a therapist. Michael Stuhlbarg gives an almost unrecognizable performance as Mr. Besegai. Playing a mob boss is a different type of role for him. Stuhlbarg usually plays the soft, sensitive type. Although I'm not a fan of the film, his monologue in Call Me By Your Name was indeed Oscar-worthy. To me, Stuhlbarg will always be the bullied Andy Hetrzfeld in Steve Jobs. But he's actually kind of intimidating in this movie, which is a welcome surprise. Playing opposite of Stuhlbarg's gruffness is Alfred Molina as Richie Dechico. Although involved with organized crime, Molina comes across as soft-spoken and caring.
One performance I was excited to see but dissapointed in the end with is Ron Perlman as Mayor Miccelli. There's nothing wrong with Perlman's performance. He comes across as a straight-up villain who treats everyone around him like garbage. Ron's rough exterior is perfect for a corrupt Mayor but he's so underwritten. Perlman's dialog is mostly relegated to him screaming obscenities at people rather than meticulously plotting his next move. Shouldn't the Mayor be a smart bad guy? We know not all real-life corrupt Mayors are, but Perlman's character is so rooted in just beating people up and swearing at them that it makes him too one-dimensional.
When the film wraps up, everything is tied in a neat little bow, providing a satisfying conclusion. With enough character development and motivation, The Instigators is a step above the usual crime comedy. The flick has its fair share of pearl-clutching moments and high-speed chases, but it's all about the characters that make it work. The Bourne Identity movies wouldn't work so well if Jason Bourne weren't such a mysterious and fascinating figure. Neither would Michael Mann's Heat work if we knew little about Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro's motivations. Being the director of the first Bourne film, Doug Liman comes back into form with the action genre. Liman's career has been a bit rocky. He directed hits like The Bourne Identity and the underrated Edge of Tomorrow, but he's also made stinkers like Jumper. The Instigators is one of Doug Liman's best films in years. It’s a mixture of excitement and humor that makes for an exceptional thriller.
The Instigators is currently playing in theaters and will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ on August 9th
