The Instigators – Some Laughs, Some Fumbles and Some Great Tunes

Doug (“The Bourne Identity”) Liman ably helms “The Instigators.” It is in a long line of heist comedy films, and features Matt Damon as Rory (a former Marine turned mechanic) and Casey Affleck as Cobby (an ex-convict). The idea of attempting to rob a corrupt politician is appealing in this day and age, and the plot inevitably slides into a chaotic stew. Some of the humor is spot-on, but other attempts at advancing the plot fall flat. With a bit of spaghetti-thrown-on-the-wall strategy, screenwriters Chuck Maclean and Casey Affleck introduce the police, crime bosses and at least one therapist. The fumbling, bumbling nature of our lead characters is used to comic effect, but too often pulls us out of believing in the plot.

Damon and Ben Affleck (here a producer) have a long history of collaboration, notably exploding on the scene by co-writing and starring in “Good Will Hunting.” They also appeared together in “Dogma,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” and “The Last Duel.” Casey Affleck delivered a notable performance in “Manchester by the Sea” but here in pretty good form he works on both sides of the camera. Also in the cast are Paul (“I, Tonya”) Walter Hauser Michael (“The Shape of Water”) Stuhlbarg, each acquitting themselves well. There are some clever moments and there are some funny moments, but a lack of cohesion is the main issue.

Is it just me, or am I noticing and enjoyable trend of classic music finding its way into the soundtracks of current films? If nothing else, I like the idea of a younger generation being exposed to music from back in the day, and of course I always like it when older musicians can see a supplementary paycheck. Who doesn’t enjoy hearing “Something in the Air,” “Celebration,” “Downtown,” “Baby Please Don’t Go” and perhaps the theme song for the film “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today).”