After the hilariously botched robbery of Boston’s selfish mayor on an election night, the two bumblers who work in unqualified jobs “the bums from Quincy” get into serious trouble. The film does not stop at staggering twists with the story and other exciting details as seen in Matt Damon and Casey Affleck’s other movies. In this breezy comedy with downright ridiculous schemes, trouble is from the outset and never relents. The first act is also commendable but gradually, as the film becomes resolute in climaxing, the story takes off with a more or less whimper. That’s quite a common cinematic flaw, but, perhaps thanks to the charms of the protagonists, the humor did not dry out altogether.
Rory (Damon), a divorced ex-marine embroiled in a contentious custody battle, pours his heart out to the understanding Dr. Rivera, played by Hong Chau. He is also broke and has not so much as a glimpse of his child. As the gangster owns Bova’s Bakery, Mr. B (Michael Stuhlbarg) lets him down greatly because of Scarvo (Jack Harlow) and Richie (Alfred Molina) for not locating a team on schedule. There is the easiest pinch in the world a man can ever have in his lifetime and time is of essence in the search for assistance.
The recently paroled Cobby (Casey Affleck) sits in the bar of his foster father, empty and restless. He has a score to settle with Scalvo but opts to accept his phone call. Cobby doesn’t expect to see anyone at a desolate beach club, yet, Rory is there. Who’s this dude? What the hell is he doing here? Cobby throws a spell of a curse on Scalvo the moment he sets his eyes on him, but the perpetually miffed Mr. B will not take any of that in his stride. There is much money to be made provided they get their act together quickly.
Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman) will not be facing any opposition in as far as reelection is concerned. Victory celebration, planned in advance, will be next on the wharf. Mr. B understands that anyone who wishes to gain favors from the mayor will be handing out bundles of dirty cash. A hassle-free job wherein one walks in, robs few people and comes out running with bags of cash. What are the odds of things turning out badly?
Director Doug Liman (Swingers; Amazon’s Road House) brings Damon back from The Bourne Identity, only that Rory is as far away from a top notch spy as the distance Avogadro’s number is from the distance of the nearest star. He was working as a mechanic in the Marines and had never committed any crime. Cobby is a precarious bit crime wise, but he is also not a serious offender. They are in fact the only people around who can complete the task and there is no time.
Rory and Cobby are thrust together as complete strangers who have to depend on each other in an unfamiliar and possibly hostile environment. Not both are so foolish as to think that the robbery will be a piece of cake, but they could in their wildest imagination, never believe the ensuing catastrophe. Therefore, it is an understatement to say that the worst case scenario happens.
Damon and Affleck could play alley cats, and still manage to be comedic, with great chemistry while playing against type. That said also, Rory and Cobby are not total imbeciles. They are wise enough not to be naively caught because that is an automatic death penalty. Most of the best scenes in the film stem from them being a step ahead of their relentless chasers. Perlman and Stuhlbarg come painfully close to stealing the film with their unrestrained rage. They have got it all at stake if Rory and Cobby are not caught somehow. The extremely gifted Molina tends to play comically reasonable. The stand up part is when he coolly goes on and on with bad news.
Affleck along with Maclean Chuk, the other writter of City on a Hill, seems to falter when it comes to the second act regarding tieing up all the loose ends. Rory and Cobby make good runners but sooner or later they have to kill the running and do some action instead. And the climax is – novel – there – many will leave scratching their heads at the rationale behind how they get to it because it’s a series of utterly ridiculous decisions and scenarios.
The Instigators may be painstakingly analysed to death but the focus here is not a watertight storyline or even over the top action sequences. Damon, Affleck and all the wonderful supporting cast are a riot. The film does not have a boring sequence ever in the First Place the film is entertaining in nature. It intrigues with some strikingly impressive characters. It’s worth it, so wait a bit at the end of the image sequence.
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