The Bourne Identity (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
A young man bobs up & down in the Mediterranean in 'The Bourne Identity', a gripping spy thriller directed by Doug Liman. Luckily for him, an Italian fishing boat picks him up before certain death. Riddled with bullets, an old seaman nurses him back to health. At this point, the injured man wonders 'Why have I been shot? What am I doing in the Mediterranean Sea? And who am I?' Without memory, the man, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), heads out on a mission to find out who'd done this to him; and to seek his identity. Problem is: he'll have to elude a smattering of skilled assassins along the way. Based loosely on Robert Ludlum's novel, this film offers great intrigue, action, suspense & solid acting from an ensemble cast.
We later find out that Jason is a CIA assassin (not a particularly good guy). But he doesn't know this yet. The first clue to realizing who he is comes in the form of a chip imbedded in his hip! On this chip is a Swiss bank account number. The key that unlocks the mystery of his identity will be discovered in his vault in Switzerland. He doesn't like what he finds there; a gun, and some fake passports ...'who am I?' Recognizing that someone (or some group) is after him, his former CIA training kicks into gear as he astonishingly wards off his foes. His talents in fighting are truly incredible. Not only that, it appears he can speak several languages. Among those seeking Bourne is his boss, Ted Conklin (Chris Cooper). To him, Bourne is an enigma, and must be eliminated.
Left in a desperate situation, Bourne enlists the help of a bystander; a German girl who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is she?). Needing a lift to his Paris apartment, this girl, Marie Helena Kreutz (Franka Potente of Run Lola Run) obliges after being promised a fee of $20,000. On their long ride, they get to know one another (or so she thought). Once they arrive at the apartment, they encounter a plethora of dead bodies & hit men. Once the hunter, now the hunted ... Jason (along with Marie) travels from country to country in search, not only of his identity, but for ways to outsmart the assassins and survive.
I was invigorated by this movie. This is because the film takes NO missteps. Matt Damon's Bourne is game for anything. He's self-assured, well-trained, yet vulnerable because of the amnesia. He's not particularly 'good', but by being 'Bourne' again, he'll right some wrongs, and try to weed out the 'really' bad guys. Damon's chemistry with Franka Potente is very palpable, which helps us pull for both of them (where we ordinarily may not want to). I mentioned the ensemble cast before. Chris Cooper is great as the ambiguous CIA boss. Julia Stiles is stellar as a potential ally of Jason's. Brian Cox's presence in any movie is 'big', to say the least. And Clive Owen is pretty slick as Jason's prime enemy. These actors support the real star of the film ... the high-octane action sequences.
The blending of fantastic stunts, fights, cat-&-mouse games, & car chases through the streets of Paris makes for some very entertaining fare. Not only are these sequences handled well, but the suspense that's generated in & from them is excellent. Because our protagonists are well established, we feel real tension; we're as paranoid as they are. You know, it's just so rare to find a blockbuster (nowadays) that offers such grit, spectacle, emotion, & brains! Does 'The Bourne Identity' answer any philosophical questions about humanity? No, not really. But the ride we go on for 2 hours is exciting, thought-provoking, and highly involving.
We later find out that Jason is a CIA assassin (not a particularly good guy). But he doesn't know this yet. The first clue to realizing who he is comes in the form of a chip imbedded in his hip! On this chip is a Swiss bank account number. The key that unlocks the mystery of his identity will be discovered in his vault in Switzerland. He doesn't like what he finds there; a gun, and some fake passports ...'who am I?' Recognizing that someone (or some group) is after him, his former CIA training kicks into gear as he astonishingly wards off his foes. His talents in fighting are truly incredible. Not only that, it appears he can speak several languages. Among those seeking Bourne is his boss, Ted Conklin (Chris Cooper). To him, Bourne is an enigma, and must be eliminated.
Left in a desperate situation, Bourne enlists the help of a bystander; a German girl who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is she?). Needing a lift to his Paris apartment, this girl, Marie Helena Kreutz (Franka Potente of Run Lola Run) obliges after being promised a fee of $20,000. On their long ride, they get to know one another (or so she thought). Once they arrive at the apartment, they encounter a plethora of dead bodies & hit men. Once the hunter, now the hunted ... Jason (along with Marie) travels from country to country in search, not only of his identity, but for ways to outsmart the assassins and survive.
I was invigorated by this movie. This is because the film takes NO missteps. Matt Damon's Bourne is game for anything. He's self-assured, well-trained, yet vulnerable because of the amnesia. He's not particularly 'good', but by being 'Bourne' again, he'll right some wrongs, and try to weed out the 'really' bad guys. Damon's chemistry with Franka Potente is very palpable, which helps us pull for both of them (where we ordinarily may not want to). I mentioned the ensemble cast before. Chris Cooper is great as the ambiguous CIA boss. Julia Stiles is stellar as a potential ally of Jason's. Brian Cox's presence in any movie is 'big', to say the least. And Clive Owen is pretty slick as Jason's prime enemy. These actors support the real star of the film ... the high-octane action sequences.
The blending of fantastic stunts, fights, cat-&-mouse games, & car chases through the streets of Paris makes for some very entertaining fare. Not only are these sequences handled well, but the suspense that's generated in & from them is excellent. Because our protagonists are well established, we feel real tension; we're as paranoid as they are. You know, it's just so rare to find a blockbuster (nowadays) that offers such grit, spectacle, emotion, & brains! Does 'The Bourne Identity' answer any philosophical questions about humanity? No, not really. But the ride we go on for 2 hours is exciting, thought-provoking, and highly involving.