Movie Review

The Bourne Identity (PG-13)

Guylaine Cadorette

Photos| Movie Info

Hollywood.com Says
A man is fished out of the Mediterranean Sea with no concept of who he is and how he got there. With only a handful of clues, he must piece together his identity and his past.

Story
The crew of an Italian fishing boat finds the body of a man floating in the Mediterranean Sea and discovers he has two bullets lodged in his back and a microfilm implanted in his hip marked with the number of a Swiss bank account. Once he comes to, he has no idea who he is or what happened to him, but realizes he possesses extraordinary abilities and can speak several languages. The safe deposit box in Zurich holds a good sum of cash and several passports, but most importantly, a name: Jason Bourne. With his identity in tow, Bourne (played by Matt Damon) finds his home address in Paris but soon realizes he's being tracked by someone who wants him dead. He offers German-born student Marie (Franka Potente) $10,000 to drive him to Paris, but the two suddenly find themselves on the run from police, the government and trained assassins. The Bourne Identity is a thrilling action pic that works on every level: the story is suspenseful and intense, the cinematography is stunning and the acting above par.

Acting
It's good to see Damon, who was phenomenal in The Talented Mr. Ripley, in an edgy role once again. Not remembering his dark past, Bourne is basically a good guy who just wants to wipe the slate clean and Damon is great at playing up his character's duality and perplexity ("Who has a bank account in their hip?" a dumbfounded Bourne asks Marie). Potente (Run Lola Run) was well cast in the role of Marie, a gypsy-like loner who isn't afraid of a challenge, but is smart enough to know when to quit. The two have chemistry on screen in a story line that is sweet without going overboard on sentiment. Two of the villains, if you can label the CIA as such, are played by Chris Cooper (The Patriot) and Brian Cox (L.I.E.). Both actors are chillingly creepy in their portrayal of cold and calculating government officials and constantly leave you guessing at what their true intentions really are. Julia Stiles (O) has a surprisingly small role as Nicolette, a spiffy young American who tracks Bourne's every move in Europe.

Direction
The Bourne Identity is the first in a trilogy of films featuring Jason Bourne, the main character in three best-selling novels by Robert Ludlum, who died shortly after this movie's completion. Tony Gilroy (Proof of Life) adapted the novel, which was published at the height of the Cold War in 1984, into a more modern and updated screenplay. Filmed on location in Prague, Paris, Italy and Greece, the film has some stunning visuals, from exotic shorelines to tight cobblestone alleyways. One of the film's most exciting scenes is a car chase through the streets of Paris as Damon, at the wheel of a Mini, knocks down pedestrians and drives down flights of stairs with skills that would make World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen blush. Director Doug Liman (Go) sustains the action and suspense evenly throughout the film, with a story line that never lags. In fact, a couple of scenes will practically have you jumping out of your seat.

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