Intelligent action thriller

Rating: 9/10 (18 June 2002)

The Bourne Identity is an intelligent, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller. I don't think it's nearly as vacuous as some critics have indicated. The story behind the action isn't deep, but it is interesting and engaging, and it is complex enough to offer some real surprises and characters that are not what they seem. As for the action, it's some of the best I've seen a long time. I like the hand-held camera work that gives a jumpy, tense feel to the action without making the audience seasick.

Matt Damon's Jason Bourne is in many ways an anti-Bond, and his sidekick, Marie, played by the German actress Franka Potente, is an anti-Bond-Girl. Bourne, suffering from amnesia and trying to figure out who he is while protecting himself and Marie from assassins, is too busy for double entendres, and Marie always appears fully dressed. Instead of a classy Astin Martin with missiles and ejection seats, our heroes have a small red box on wheels. Instead of saving the world from a sinister plot while all the while remaining suave and sexy, they are nervously trying to save their lives in truly tense situations. Marie even unromantically vomits when she sees a dead woman. The romance between Bourne and Marie develops slowly and believably, and it is Marie that gets things going. ****minor spoiler: When they arrive at Bourne's Paris apartment, Marie gives Bourne a look that says, `I'd like to stay' (Wow, a movie with a character that can speak with good acting and expression rather than through obvious dialogue), and Bourne awkwardly invites her to come up to the apartment with him. When Marie says that maybe she should just leave because Bourne will forget her anyway, he responds by saying, `How can I forget you. You're the only person I know.' Aw, you can't get any more romantic than that. End spoiler****

The villains, including CIA bureaucrats and assassins, are realistic and creepy. The always good Chris Cooper and Clive Owen as `the Professor' do especially well. All of the characters, even the minor ones, are carefully portrayed, and it seemed to me that there was sympathy in the audience for all of the characters. This and other elements give the movie a realistic feel. Director Doug Liman, who speaks French fluently, used only local crews while filming in Prague and Paris to help create a real European atmosphere. Real U.S. Marines play the soldiers that go after Bourne in the American Embassy. There are no gratuitous explosions that ring false or silly action sequences. There's only one explosion, and in that scene, Bourne uses it as a clever advantage over his opponent. Some complain and nitpick about plot holes, but I think Identity is much more realistic throughout than Sum of All Fears is.
Watch for some fun details in the film. At the end, when two characters are having a conversation, look to the right of the screen over one of the character's left shoulder to see what has become of the red bag that is prominent throughout the film. And enjoy the great score by composer John Powell.
This is Matt Damon's first role as an action-thriller leading man, and he proves to be more than up to the task. While Jack Ryan is busy entangling himself in clichés, Jason Bourne is kicking some serious patootie. If you're looking for a good thriller, skip Sum of all Fears and check out The Bourne Identity.