Good and Entertaining, but not great

Rating: 6/10 (5 June 2002)

I saw the Bourne Identity last night (6/4/02) at a special advanced screening in San Francisco. Matt Damon was introduced at the end of the film and took questions from the audience for about a half hour.
I've read Ludlum's book and the movie is very loosely based on it. Essentially this is about a man found floating in the sea, near death from gunshot wounds. As the man wakes, he has no memory and eventually he finds himself on the run with the aid of a woman he barely knows. Unlike the book, there is no Carlos, Marie is a gypsy not a banker, and the movie is set almost entirely in Paris
I thought the movies was less of a spy thriller than a movie about two people on the run. There were several lighter moments in the film with Damon and Franka Potente on the run. Potente is really good and very funny. Chris Cooper (a great character actor) doesn't have the greatest lines, but delivers them quite well. Julia Stiles is also in this movie, but her role is rather small. Clive Owen is in the movie as well (not driving a BMW though) and while his role is small, he performs well especially as he talks about his life and sacrifices.
I thought this film was good entertainment, but not great.
Matt Damon said that he studied martial arts and had weapons training for five months. He did do most of his own stunts. Some of the fights scenes were great with an almost Matrix-like super-soldier type attitude. There is a great stunt near the end of the movie as Bourne makes a move to get down the staircase.
The film was shot in Paris and the Czech Republic.