The Bourne Identity (2002)

Average rating

(81%)

Starring:	Matt Damon \| Franka Potente \| Chris Cooper \| Clive Owen \| Brian Cox \| Gabriel Mann \| Julia Stiles
Director:	Doug Liman
Studio:	UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK VIDEO RENTAL
Run time:	113 mins
Genres:	Action/Adventure
Languages:	English
Hearing-impaired:	English
Subtitles:	English
Released:	February 10, 2003
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A young man with two bullet wounds in his back is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea by a group of Italian fishermen. Barely alive, he is nursed back to health, but with no memory to help him, his only clue to his identity is a bank account number. It becomes clear that he is Jason Bourne, but what is his mission?

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Halliwell's Film Guide

Tense chase thriller that provides moderate entertainment, though, after an intriguing opening sequence, its narrative becomes ponderously predictable.

Highest rated reviews

21 out of 26 people found the following review helpful:

Retro thriller

gerald higgins from Nottingham, England, 11th August, 2004

Based on a 1980 novel by Robert Ludlum ? and a 1988 TV movie of the same name starring Richard Chamberlain ? ?The Bourne Identity? is an espionage thriller and is directed by Doug Liman who also made Swingers and Go.

The action begins as an Italian fishing vessel scoops a body out of the ocean. The ship?s doctor nurses the man ? who has two bullet holes in his back and a little laser gizmo embedded in his skin that projects a bank account number ? to health. Unfortunately, the man (Matt Damon) has no memory of who he is or how he got there.

He makes his way to Switzerland to check the bank account, where he finds a safe deposit box filled with guns, fake passports and money of different currencies. However, it soon becomes clear that Jason Bourne is a wanted man and a variety of heavies and hit men begin to pursue him across Europe. He is aided in his flight by Franka Potente, while CIA boss Chris Cooper marshals agents Clive Owen and Julia Stiles against him.

It?s skilfully directed by Liman throughout, the first third of the movie is tremendously suspenseful as we empathise with Damon?s confusion and disorientation. Moreover though, this is a fresh take on the spy thriller, Bond appears moribund by comparison. The emphasis is on character and atmosphere rather than special effects and gadgets. The cinematography captures perfectly the chill of an alpine winter and the attention to detail is obvious throughout. For example, when Damon and Potente flee Switzerland in her battered Mini Cooper, the interior car scenes show the windows misted up. Damon also only changes his clothes when he logically can, forcing him to parade for nearly half the film in his bullet riddled jersey.

It?s essentially a genre movie made by an independent director giving it an offbeat edge. Damon and Potente and not traditional middle class, materialistic, protagonists. Like the characters in Go and Swingers they are slightly marginalized, but also cool and hip. This is reinforced by the iconic nature of the mini cooper and the dance soundtrack.

But it also offers more traditional pleasures, such as a thrilling car chase against the traffic in Paris - an obvious nod to Ronin ? or Damon?s mastery of marshal arts. Just like Swingers and Go, this film has been largely overlooked by critics who cannot relate to the characters and general ambience of the movie. Yet, just like Doug Liman?s previous films, word of mouth is excellent and it is genuinely amongst the best films of the year.

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11 out of 15 people found the following review helpful:

Preposterous thriller that lacks edge

Northernsky from , 13th March, 2004

The Bourne Identity is a preposterous but mildly enjoyable thriller and that’s about all you can say about it really. You can pick holes in it’s logic and cringe at the formulaic happy ending, but you should enjoy the action sequences- one Matrix rip off fight is particularly good fun- and find the escalating tension quite…errr tense.

Matt Damon is not ideal for this role, far too clean cut and American pie for the role of an action hero, he lacks edge. Solid support comes from Brian Cox and Chris Cooper and Franka Potente is suitably bewildered as the innocent bystander dragged innocently into a situation she doesn’t understand.

Clive Owen plays an assassin and I couldn’t help thinking he’d have been more suited to the lead role which in turn would have lent the film an air of plausibility it mostly lacks. The cold blooded killing of one of the films leading characters gives the script a dark twist that seems horribly possible given the world these people inhabit. It’s a pity there wasn’t more of that type of plot development but once again you get the feeling the producers weren’t interested in making an adult film but yet another multi-plex blockbuster. Pity.

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