Damon, Affleck, Chau Discuss Boston Heist Comedy ‘The Instigators’

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck play complete strangers thrown into their first heist in the new action comedy “The Instigators.” The robbery of a corrupt politician goes disastrously wrong, leaving their characters on the run in Boston, accompanied by Damon’s character’s therapist, played by Hong Chau.

The film is penned by Affleck and Chuck MacLean and directed by Doug Liman. It’s reminiscent of films that people often say aren’t made anymore, like “Midnight Run,” boasting a cast full of great character actors such as Alfred Molina, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ron Perlman, Toby Jones, and Ving Rhames. Despite its nostalgic feel, the production is completely modern, produced by the streaming company AppleTV+ with Damon and Ben Affleck’s artist-led production company Artists Equity. The film is now playing in select theaters and will be available for streaming starting Friday.

Damon, Affleck, and Chau shared insights about the film and their histories during an interview with The Associated Press, peppered with a fair amount of “gentle ribbing,” as Chau called it.

Doug Liman mentioned that filming in Boston with Damon and the Affleck brothers felt like entering a family environment. For Chau, it indeed felt very much like a family barbeque, where she was just hoping to bring a yummy dish to fit in and enjoy the back-and-forth among the team.

Casey Affleck shared that the decision to write a comedy came from the realization that he wouldn’t be offered a great comedy role; thus, he decided to create one himself. He mentioned that Chuck MacLean had a good idea and interesting characters but didn’t want to continue with it, so he handed it over to Casey to develop further.

Matt Damon quipped about the comedy aspect of past films like “Manchester by the Sea,” commenting that maybe it wasn’t as funny as people now recall. Affleck added that despite feeling he had dabbled in comedy, people seemed surprised and thought it was good to see him try his hand at it again.

When it came to choosing Doug Liman as the director, Damon noted that he loves all of Liman’s movies and enjoys working with him because he has a knack for taking something straightforward and giving it a unique, slightly off-kilter twist that makes it fun.

There was some discussion about Liman’s filmmaking process, often referred to as “Limania,” and how it fits with the Artists Equity model. Damon emphasized that despite the creative chaos, the process is not reckless or irresponsible. To prove their belief in Liman, Damon mentioned that he, along with Artists Equity and Liman, put up their own money for overages. Affleck joked about his willingness to contribute his paycheck, though it was too insignificant to impact the budget.

The trio discussed various films they’ve worked on together, even those where they didn’t share scenes. Damon humorously pointed out that director Christopher Nolan seemed to like them both but didn’t trust them together, referring to different projects where they’ve been separated by significant plot elements. Affleck added to the banter with jokes about potential future collaborations.

Hong Chau reminisced about her college days in Boston when “Good Will Hunting” was iconic. Damon shared an anecdote about his father initially thinking the famous “how do you like them apples” line wouldn’t work, which resulted in a promise from his dad never to give notes again.

Damon’s memories of Boston, although nostalgic, had to take a back seat while shooting the film, as the focus was strictly on production efficiency given the high costs involved.

Ben Affleck’s involvement as a producer was notable, although he didn’t take an on-screen role. Damon explained that Ben was very active during pre-production and post-production stages, managing the company’s responsibilities. He expressed the joy and fulfillment of working with people he cares about, suggesting that collaborating with loved ones makes his job even more enjoyable.

Regarding the playful jabs about Matt Damon’s age in the film, Damon mentioned they were all improvised on set. Casey Affleck explained that these were fun remarks he had heard from others and decided to include in the movie.

The friendly banter wrapped up with a humorous exchange about George Clooney, suggesting a playful and light-hearted approach that characterized the overall tone of the conversation.

Source: Associated Press