On August 9, the comedy heist movie «The Instigators» starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck was released on Apple TV+. This is not the first time that the famous actors have shared the set, as they also played together in the heist movie — the starry trilogy about Ocean’s Friends. In the review below, we’ll tell you whether this is a funny comedy and how well it entertains in general.
Pluses:
star-studded cast; witty dialogues between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck; good humor in places; the movie cannot be called a disappointment;
Minuses:
a sufficient number of plot conventions; Hong Chau's character is disappointing; the star actors in the background have nowhere to prove themselves; the story as a whole looks weak and decidedly lacks energy;
«The Instigators»
Genre comedy, heist film
Director Doug Liman
Starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames, Andre de Shields
Premiere Apple TV+
Year of issue 2024
Website IMDb
Rory is a gloomy ex-marine who is forced to undergo rehabilitation with a therapist due to suicidal thoughts and a difficult life situation. Cobbie — an ex-convict, alcoholic, and slacker with dubious prospects. Fate brings these misfits together when one of Boston’s crime lords plans to rob the local mayor. At first glance, the case seems simple, but the unfortunate robbers are hampered not only by a lack of experience in such cases, but also by an unfortunate force majeure.
Unlike their bumbling characters, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are clearly no strangers to heist plots. As mentioned above, both were featured in Soderbergh’s «Friends of Ocean’s», plus Affleck was also seen in the comedy «Tower Heist» (2011), where he was joined by Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick and Eddie Murphy.
«The Instigators» came out of the wings of the relatively new production company of best friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s «Artists Equity», whose debut film was last year’s «Air». However, the new comedy will definitely not become a gem in the company’s filmography — the guys have made a lazy, relaxed movie.
Among the authors are Charlie MacLean, showrunner of the successful crime drama series «City on a Hill» (2019—2022), and Affleck himself, with Doug Liman directing. This is the latter’s second project in the last six months — in March, his action movie «Road House» starring the muscular Jake Gyllenhaal.
The film starts off quite cheerfully because without unnecessary delay, after a brief introduction to the characters, the plot throws the short-sighted robbers into a whirlwind of events and, accordingly, funny situations. There is plenty of room for laughter at this stage: there is the inquisitive Rory trying to take notes on all the details of the upcoming case (Matt Damon with his notebook is a really funny sight), funny surprises for the robbers, and witty skirmishes between the main characters.
The creators of the film clearly rely on a star-studded cast, because every character in the frame is a familiar face.
But it cannot be categorically stated that such a slightly cheating maneuver is a salvation for the generally weak realization. The movie is decidedly lacking in energy that could have breathed more life into the local gathering of mournful faces. At the same time, the not-so-latest Hollywood actors such as Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, or Ron Perlman seem to have simply dropped by the set to say hello, as their appearance is purely for the sake of appearing, nothing more.
At some point, the screenwriters add psychotherapist Donna River, played by Hong Chau, to the pair of fugitives, but this character is frankly disappointing and does not add any charm to the adventures of the long-suffering robbers. As the story progresses, the movie loses its initial enthusiasm and almost everything in it relies on the interaction between Damon and Affleck. And the latter sprinkles his witticisms much more abundantly than his partner.
Looking at the bigger picture, it’s hard to escape the idea that Lyman and company didn’t fully utilize the potential they had. At one point, it may seem as if Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have returned to the dark, meditative dimension of Gus Van Sant’s «Gerry» (2002) rather than existing in a comedy plot.
Overall, «The Instigators» doesn’t fall out of the sky, but it’s not a disappointment either. The local interaction between the two stars and the restrained comedy may be enough for a one-time viewing on a weekend. But you can’t expect an uninterrupted humorous extravaganza, let alone any revelations; it’s just good actors who met, fooled around a bit, worked on their streaming experience, made some money, and went home in a good mood.
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