Engrossing, intelligent, and worth buying

Rating: 9/10 (23 January 2006)

The Bourne Identity, besides being film entertainment of the highest order, enjoys two unexpected accomplishments. One is that it positions Matt Damon as a truly multi-dimensional actor with a creative range usually found in actors raised in classical theater. The second accomplishment is that it has delivered a rather peerless model of what a spy/action movie should look like.
I have rented this movie three times over the years, and continue to marvel at Damon's performance. Granted he has an excellent script, and Ludlum's story is gripping, but Damon hits so many high notes in his characterization of Jason Bourne that the viewer can't help but become emotionally involved with him. We feel his frustration, his helplessness, his confusion, his meanness, and his resolve. Most importantly we feel his burning intelligence grappling with the amnesia that may get him killed and we find exhilaration in his physical and mental strength.
Tony Gilroy's script and Doug Liman's direction are both masterful. Everything is believable from the hi-tech toys to the car chase to the fight scenes to the relationships between various characters to the plot development. There are very few visual gimmicks to propel the story and yet the pace never lets up. I found myself wondering what I would say and do in many of the situations and that means the movie drew me in, that I wasn't merely a passive observer. Dialog was real, the subplots were efficient and well-placed, the props and locations added wonderful flavor, and the reliefs were perfectly timed. The cast surrounding Damon is a delicious smorgasbord of "types," with Brian Cox being the only usual suspect in these kinds of roles.
While Ludlum is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to good story telling, the way Damon, Gilroy and Liman brought it to life on screen is quite remarkable. I fully intend to purchase the entire Bourne series if the follow-ups are as good as this first effort. This initial film is worth multiple viewings and deserves a permanent place in anyone's film library.