One of the best films of 2002

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2004)

Bourne Identity is definitely Robert Ludlum's best novel. But can it translate well into a good film? After watching films like Sphere (based on the Michael Crighton novel by the same name) and Queen of the Damned (based on the Anne Rice novel) and after enduring all the films loosely based on Dean R. Koontz's great novels, I can say I wasn't expecting much out of Bourne Identity.
Fortunately Bourne Identity proves that not all films taken out of grandiose novels turn out to be mediocre entertainment. In the novel, the terrorist Carlos is the enemy. Needless to say that had to be changed-Carlos is in jail now. If you read the book, you will realize that a lot of chapters were simply skipped. There was no option. If the movie had had every chapter from the novel put into the film, it would have lasted more than four hours-just like the miniseries by the same name that came out in 1988. Despite all the changes made to the movie, despite all the deviations from the original story (some of them rather risky), Bourne Identity is a great film.
Matt Damon is definitely a great actor. And his good acting doesn't fail to disappoint here. And Franka Potente makes a great sidekick. She is far from being the typical Hollywood good actress. And this role was definitely for her. In one movie scene, you will see Matt Damon cutting her hair. Then she dyes it. This woman colored her hair blond once. Then she shaved it all. Now she is letting a man with amnesia give her a haircut. She just can't stop doing things to her hair. Not that it bothers me. Nothing about this actress is annoying. She was impressing in Run Lola Run, and she continues to be. Same thing can be said about Matt Damon. He was great in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and he was perfect for the role of Jason Bourne, an agent suffering from amnesia who must find out who and what he is, and the more he learns about himself, the more in danger he gets.
Bourne Identity is far from being the typical spy film. Here there are no amazing, hard to believe gadgets that seem to come out of James Bond films. Here there are no amazing explosions that seem more like advertisement for good pyrotechnic companies than parts of any film. It is just a good suspense story equipped with believable action.
This is a movie every fan of the genre should see.