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Film reviews

The Instigators Review

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Matt Damon ( left) and Casey Affleck (right) in The Instigators

A flick with a heist and troublemakers always has quirky misdirection when its characters are alumni of Good Will Hunting. That film is The Instigators, directed by Doug Liman. Matt Damon and Casey Affleck reunite for the thrill ride of many errors of spellbinding fun. The Instigators made me feel “instigated.” With all the routines of questioning behavior going awry and no end in sight, there is a lot in The Instigators. It is like Damon and Affleck revisiting their hometown in Boston, and their behaviors have gotten more dangerous since Good Will Hunting. It is not detrimental to show and is to make money. The Instigators will boil the screen of the comedic aspects of Damon and Affleck.

In The Instigators, Damon is Rory; Affleck is Cobby. Rory is an ex-Marine; Cobby is an ex-con. Rory has debt. Rory has scenarios ranging from divorce, child support, missed fees, and just debt piling up. Cobby is just one who needs to get his life together, and he feels he does not find common sense in his daily routines. Cobby’s time is at a bar at all hours of the day. He even fakes his breathalyzer tests. The hardship side of its characterizations loops in a conspiracy to have a heavy component in The Instigators—if it goes well, everyone goes home with money to help them get by.

The crime boss is Mr. Besegai (played by Michael Stuhlbarg). He assigns the game plan of the heist to Rory and Cobby. The plan involves Mayor Micelli (played by Ron Perlman). The robbery went wrong. Rory and Cobby are on the run after the failed mission. They are searching for places to hide. They stroll through the Boston area repeatedly. As this goes on, the feds are after them, and on top of that, Mr. Besegai finds himself in a pattern where he considers trying to run or hide. That is sadly more difficult than it seems. Especially with how national news takes over, and the city of Boston has tons of witnesses. The superior character to the feds is Francis (played by Ving Rhames). Francis has got the tanks, and the crew, and it is more than Boston could handle. The question is who survives.

The film keeps its momentum of rollercoaster fun. It keeps the misdirection of events turning into circles, characters questioning who to trust, and the ball rotates courts throughout the failed crime. The chase builds. The biggest twist is Rory’s therapist takes part in this runaway. The therapist is Dr. Donna Rivera (played by Hong Chau). Her presence in all of this brings in a layer of thought. There are conversations where she mentions liability, insurance, and her duties—how much damages will be compensated for all the typhoon madness in The Instigators? Liman’s direction always has a knack for selecting characters that are street smart. Not those who are book smart. “Street smart” works to the advantage of the title itself. The many rounds of car accidents and explosions are continuous throughout The Instigators. It is unstoppable in its tracks.

The Instigators is an adventure. It is joyful and entertaining for a flick with Damon and Affleck. It is silly in moments. The writing is dry in some. I enjoyed it, but I did not love it. I feel, however, that it is the right approach to tying in an exciting adventure with Damon and Affleck reunited once again. How crazy is the heist? How smart is everyone associated? Is there a cut in the money? Find out in The Instigators. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Road House Review

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Directed by Doug Liman and written by Anthony Bagarozzi, this remake of Road House begins its introduction with a promising setup. The film opens with the initiation of a fight scene. It takes place in a club with street fighting. Carter, played by singer/rapper Post Malone, is in the ring.  Dalton, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is his opponent.  Dalton is the new Patrick Swayze in this different type of remake of the 1989 version of Road House. Gyllenhaal and Malone are retro street fighting in Road House. Dalton may be a bouncer, but he has a past, an ego and a lot of attitude.

Dalton is the main character, and he is offered a job as a bouncer by Frankie (played by Jessica Williams). Franke is the owner of a bar called The Road House. Dalton is a former UFC Fighter, and accepting this job puts him in a place where he realizes his territory of risks are not as promising as they seem. The settingis in the Florida Keys, a place where paradise meets a questionable habitat. The luxury environment sets the stage forlaunching into uncharted territory…it is a lot for a new bouncer. Dalton begins to realize how his new situation leaves him opento all kinds of abuse from many strange characters.

The Road House is disorganized and unorthodox—a bar with frequent conflicts and a lack of positive energy. There is one who says, “It’s like the morgue in here,” and indeed it may be. That is because Dalton has got some vengeance with an attitude that is hidden. There is a conflict with gangsters where Dalton asks, “Before we start, do you have insurance?” That question is the voice of a man with a giant ego and a hardcore vision of destruction for a better cause…Gyllenhaal is superb. His other question after the first one is, “Is there a hospital nearby?” The hospital question leads to a climax where the audience will hope there is a hospital for its characters to get to. This outcome leads Dalton to meet Ellie (played by Daniela Melchior). She is fascinated by Dalton’s personality and traits of enthusiasm.

This version of Road House is one where there are always conflicts of dynamics…not only at the bar, but all around the Florida Keys. Soon, Dalton is the new talk of the town. His mainchallenge are the crime bosses, and they are Ben and Knox (played by Billy Magnussen and Connor McGregor). Dalton begins to realize how he encourages others around him to stand their ground more firmly with the odd characters throughout the town. This is a frustration for Ben and Knox, because they want to take over much of the property surrounding the bar.

The first arena of danger was in Missouri in 1989 where Swayze was the hero. The new territory is in the edgy paradise setting of the Keys with Gyllenhaal. Dalton says, “People seem a little aggressive around here,” and those words hold true throughout the film’s many moments of treachery. The storyline follows the good and bad times of this chosen lifestyle—a journey into both aspects that thrive vividly. To an extent, it is very blockbuster-like with its writing and continuity—it keeps going in the route of heroism, and that leads to much of the film feeling habitual. Gyllenhaal’s performance is eloquent—his role as a bouncer is mellow, soft-spoken, and he displays intensity. Magnussen’s performance is out of his league—he plays a criminal that thinks he has got power. However, it is not enough to take on someone like Gyllenhaal as the new bouncer and a popular newcomer to town. Knox though, is the most lethal enemy.

The gangster atmosphere is what sold me with Road House—no matter where Dalton goes, there is always a treacherous trap awaiting. Are Dalton’s hidden days of being a pro-fighter enough to protect the ones around him? I do give the film credit for its suspenseful dynamics, it just does not execute them withthe brilliance one might expect. Gyllenhaal played a boxer in Southpaw in 2015 and returns to a role of a former boxer turned bouncer…with a lot more vengeance to release. The criminalelement is a blur, with the use of overrated actors that do not fit the theme of harsh bad guys. However, Gyllenhaal in roles with a boxing background is where his dramatic characterizations give his performance the fulfilling impact of unfettered rage. Basically the story of a bouncer in a world of mayhem that continues to feel rhetorical. Two out four stars for Road House.