Excellent spy thriller

Rating: 8/10 (29 October 2013)

The Bourne Identity is the first film in the hit spy trilogy starring Matt Damon as an apparent ex CIA assassin. It comes off as a slick and smart film, avoiding the usual action clichés and having very intelligent ideas that work. The film is high octane stuff mainly thanks to the interesting premise, excellent performances and superb action set pieces.
The plot sees fishermen recover a man's body out at sea with two bullet holes in his back. He is suffering from amnesia and doesn't remember who he was, later discovering his name to be Jason Bourne. A laser device planted in his hip shows him his bank account which is full of money and a gun. Bourne then finds himself hunted by the police and, with the help of a woman named Marie, he searches for answers in Paris which lead all the way to the CIA. The story flows extremely well and has a lot of twists that help in making things more interesting. The general story about Bourne is just an interesting one and you can never really tell where the film is going to end up, which makes it all the more gripping.
The cast is exceptional. Matt Damon is excellent as Bourne, perfectly portraying him as confused and conflicted but still very clever. He does a great job of handling the action, intense and emotional scenes with astuteness. Franka Potente is equally good as Marie. She comes off as likable and her normality gives her a realistic edge, she makes for a sensitive and courageous companion for Bourne. Chris Cooper does an incredibly solid job as the CIA man who is tracking Bourne's every move. He shows him as a cold calculating figure without removing all of his humanity. Brian Cox is great as always as the intense Abbott, Cox's sheer presence shows intellect and cunning. Julia Stiles is very good as informer Nicky. Clive Owen is very good too as the stoic assassin the 'Professor'.
The action scenes are brilliant. The fights scenes are a lot more realistic than most films, which makes them fast, exciting and surprisingly brutal. The fight with the would-be assassin and the climax in particular are excellently shot. The car chase is a highlight, it just feels naturally gritty while still being a thrilling and entertaining set piece. The characters are well fleshed out which is something most action films miss out on. Bourne is an interesting person and as he finds out more so do the audience, he eventually does feel like a real spy and thanks to Damon's intense portrayal he does appear to be fighting for his life. The same goes for the realism as the characters do come across as somewhat vulnerable. The film itself is shot really well, it captures Paris very beautifully and espionage atmosphere is nicely heavy. Its surprising how well paced it is, it seemingly moves quickly but still has time to add hints of melancholy and emotion to the story itself. It is a brilliant style of relying on story and characters with bursts of action and energy, which harken back to older action films. The score by John Powell is great as it is both nicely moody and rather exhilarating when it needs to be.
The Bourne Identity is tense, thrilling and emotive in equal doses as its one of the finest spy films around.