An assassin who's MIA in the CIA

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2002)

SPOILER----SPOILER----SPOILER
The Bourne Identity is a foreign intrigue thriller set in Zurich and Paris. The CIA---if there's one thing it does well it's cleanup a mess---has a problem. Ted Conklin [Chris Cooper] a CIA handler in Langley has a big mess on his hands, its name is Jason Bourne [Matt Damon]. Bourne, an assassin who's MIA in the CIA, missed his `hit' on an exiled dictator, was wounded and set adrift, and has lost his memory [i.e., identity]. Bourne remembers just enough to be dangerous, turns up at the US embassy in Zurich and all hell breaks loose. Marie [Franka Potente] an itinerant German working girl lends him a hand and the chase is on. Bourne can neither hide nor rejoin the CIA, nor can he right his blown assassination attempt. This situation can end in only one way, or then again maybe two or three ways.

The Bourne Identity is vintage Robert Ludlum. There's an exotic [but not improbable] story with fast paced action, suspenseful twists and turns, unexpected bursts of violence and a hero. Best of all, you'll not have to scratch your head to unravel the plot at the end. Mat Damon is the real deal as a crafty CIA assassin with all the savvy moves and killer instincts. Among the films highlights is a car chase that would stop traffic [pardon the pun] and is reminiscent of The French Connection [1971] or even Bullitt [1968] with Steve McQueen.
The Bourne Identity is one of those rare films with perfect casting. Damon, an improbable selection, can add a page to his resume with a convincing performance; replacing Tom Cruse as an action hero won't be `mission impossible' for Damon. German-born Franka Potente adds a realistic touch as a hand-to-mouth youth drifting across Europe and always up for a thrill; she sprinted onto US art theater screens in Run Lola Run [1999]. Chris Cox [a personal favorite] is just right as a journeyman CIA operative who's in over his head without a lifeline.
Ludlum [who died in 2001], a prolific American writer with over 30 best sellers and legion of fans, was apparently not a fan of Hollywood, with only 2-3 of his books on film. See this one.