Failed non-adaptation of quite a good book

Rating: 5/10 (22 February 2003)

Anyone who thinks that this film has anything to do with the book of the same name is in for a great big surprise. The sum total of the similarities are the name of the leading character and the fact that he is found in the sea with amnesia and the skills of an assassin. That's it. The plot, motivation, female lead and relationships have been rewritten from scratch...and unfortunately the movie is much the worse for it.
Ludlum's original novel (which had a relatively faithful but poorly made TV movie done if it many years ago) is one of his best works (and indeed spawned two sequels, albeit of decreasing quality). This film throws the entire central point [and a thought-provoking, creative one at that] of the book out the window, and replaces it with a story so predictable and suspenseless that you sit on the edge of your seat waiting vainly for a surprise twist that never materializes.
Damon and Potente may be good actors, and conceivably Damon (although not his female co-star) could have been appropriately cast in a faithful rendition of the source, but this movie simply misfires on all cylinders. I saw it on DVD, which contains a thoroughly horrid "making of" video, including brief interviews with the cast. The bizarre thing is that they all sound like they're making some deep, profound, breakthrough, cross-genre film, when the result is a not-very-good, less-than-run-of-the-mill, spy thriller.
Oh well, if you want to see the sort of thing that the combination of the Ludlum name and this film's trailer promised, check out Damon's buddy's recent work: Ben Affleck in Sum of All Fears. It's not great cinema either, but it's certainly a better thriller with at least the thread of a believable plot. I really don't see how I can give this more than 5 out of 10.