39 Steps

Rating: 5/10 (24 November 2002)

Remember "39 Steps"? There was this man who was on the run. And then there was this totally strange woman with him. Why was she with him? Because she was hand-cuffed to him, that is why. And why was she hand-cuffed? Because otherwise there would be no earthly reason why she would follow him. And because movie makers at the time had some respect for their audiences. That brings me to Bourne. Now, it may seem unfair to compare some run-off-the-mill film to Hitchcock, but the sad fact is these guys nowadays (sorry to generalize here but the movie made me so angry) don't care about plausibility because they despise their popcorn-eating audience. Of course, you should not start thinking about the story of 39 steps which is also ridiculous. But the point is Hitchcock makes you want to believe and care for the characters. Suspense of disbelief and all that. In Bourne Identity the first 5 minutes are okay. We just do not want to know why the hero has this bank number implanted. In case he loses memory? He goes to Switzerland? I buy that but then he beats the police guys, just why? You have pockets full of money but have to spend the night in the house of a friend when you are on the run? Potente is not bad but she surely does not save this one.